Comfortable
by Whoneedsasword
Summary: It was a long, difficult road to get here, but they have finally found a place where they are happy, a place where they are comfortable. Will some unforeseen events derail their happy ending, or will they finally find a way to be the family that they have always wanted to be? This is a continuation of my previous story, "Healing". It might be a good idea to read that first!
1. Chapter 1

**SO! Here is the long (not really) awaited, much anticipated (again, not really) sequel to "Healing". This is a continuation of the last story, and it is going to explore some of the time that the rest of the guys were in prison. And of course, Fiona and Kerrianne visit! No idea how often it will be updated, or when it will be done, but I am having a blast writing it this far. Please read and REVIEW! The reviews mean a lot to me, and I appreciate them all! Enjoy!**

Filip Telford enjoyed many things. He enjoyed long rides on his bike, with no particular destination in mind. He enjoyed egg drop soup from the Chinese place downtown. He enjoyed playing countless games of Minesweeper on Juice's laptop until 2 in the morning. He enjoyed busting his daughter out on school occasionally, and just spending the day with her. He enjoyed sending his daughter to a friend's house for a sleepover, so he could spend a loud, thrilling, and sleepless night with his wife. Yes, he was a man who enjoyed many things, but one thing that he absolutely, positively, did NOT enjoy was cleaning his already shockingly neat house under the less than helpful direction of Gemma Teller and Tara Knowles.

"Chibs, here, I think we missed some porn," Tara called with a bit too much glee in her voice, throwing a DVD directly at his head. It hit its target.

"Son of a bitch!" he yelled, paying no mind to the small blond toddler in the corner of the room, banging incessantly on a saucepan. Abel has been SAMCRO since the minute he was born, and he had undoubtedly heard worse.

"Relax Chibs, I doubt that's the first injury you've gotten as a result of porn," Gemma said to him, picking up the DVD and handing it to him. "And watch the goddamn language around my grandson."

He glared at her and the giggling Tara for about half a minute, trying to decide if he was going to respond to her comment, before just altogether deciding against it. The three of them were in the middle of making sure all incriminating things, such as porn and automatic weapons, were removed from his house, or at the very least, hidden much more carefully than they currently were. Though both women were annoying the shit out of him, he couldn't help but be grateful. Tomorrow at this time, he would be at the airport, picking up his wife and daughter. It would not be good for one of them to stumble upon an AK-47 or any part of his Cara Cara Collection. Swallowing his retort, Filip picked up one of the boxes and lugged it out to the van. It would find a nice home at the club house.

It had been just over six months since he and his merry band of motorcycle enthusiasts had returned from Belfast. Six months that his brothers had been locked up in Stockton. Six months since he had murdered the man who had done his best to ruin Filip's life. Six months since he had gotten his wife and his daughter back. Though there was some bad dealt in with the good, Filip could not deny that these had been some of the best months of his life.

He had been keeping himself quite busy. Besides visiting the boys in Stockton, working in the garage, and helping with Club shit, he had been to Belfast twice to see Fiona and Kerryanne, spending just over a month each time. Fiona had come to see him once, just a month ago, but she could only stay a week. It would be Kerryanne's first time here. As far as he could tell, she was really excited to come, and he sure as hell was excited that both of them were coming here. They were planning on staying for six weeks, but he and Fiona both were still hoping to eventually extend that stay by a very, very long time. Either way, he was just happy that he would have them here for a while.

Visiting Belfast had been all well and good, but he was glad for his girls to be finally coming here, to Charming. He was looking forward to showing Kerryanne around and giving her a taste of his life, at least the good parts that were appropriate for a nearly fifteen year old girl. The time that they had spent together in Ireland had allowed them the opportunity to get to know each other much, much better. He discovered that his daughter was incredibly mature, but still loved watching Saturday cartoons. She was smart as hell, and was excellent at math, but not at all a fan of science. He had learned that, while she was quiet, her mind was constantly going. She had a wicked sense of humor and was completely hilarious. She was an excellent friend, a trusted confidant, and was unflinchingly loyal. He loved his Kerryanne, and was beyond proud of the incredibly young woman she had grown into, though he couldn't take much credit at all.

Their impending arrival was what had brought Gemma and Tara to his house at a ridiculously early hour this morning. He wasn't sure what had made them decide to come. He figured that Gemma was just nosey as hell, and Tara probably couldn't face the idea of being stuck, alone in her house with only Abel for company. He couldn't blame her, really. He knew how much she missed having Jax around. They had bonded over missing lovers and cookies more than once. And of course he adored Gemma, but both of them together in the same small house? Not even he was man enough for that.

He lit a cigarette and leaned back against the van, thankful for a moment of peace a quiet. It was nice outside today, the sky was clear blue and it was one of those wonderful in between days that was neither too hot, nor too cold. It was sort of unnatural, really. Summertime in California usually meant blistering heat and about a thousand and a half mosquitos every 12 seconds. All of that was absent today, though. There were flowers growing, birds chirping, and a light breeze blowing. It truly was a beautiful day. He rested his head against the van door and closed his eyes, enjoying the momentary escape from the chaos inside.

Of course, no sooner had he done that, than the door swung open and the matriarch marched out the door and tossed something at his head. This time, he caught the object flying, and rather than porn, it was his cell phone.

"You've got a phone call, Honey. Give me the keys," she demanded. "I wanna take this load to the garage and then pick up some lunch."

"Why? The van only has four boxes in it, and it is only 11:00?" he questioned her, confused as to why she was in such a hurry to bolt.

"Because Tara is crying again, and I don't want to deal with it," Gemma said, smirking at him, "Pregnant chicks annoy the shit out of me."

"Christ," he muttered, handing the keys over and making his way to the front porch with the phone held to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey Da! Who is Tara again, and why is she crying?" he heard Kerryanne's voice ask from the other end of the line.

"Hey Baby. Tara is Jax's girl, Abel's mother. And she is crying because she is pregnant, and apparently that's what pregnant women do," he replied, with a heavy sigh. "How are you doing? Shouldn't you be getting ready to board a plane in a few hours?"

"Good to know. I am fine, and I am getting ready, but Ma is being annoying and mean," she complained, with what he hoped was a lighthearted tone.

"Oh, what a villainous Ma you have. Tell me, what has the terrible woman done now?" he asked, making his sarcasm more than evident.

"She won't let me pack all of the stuff I need! She said I need to cut back and I can only bring two bags!" Kerryanne whined.

"Well, how many bags were you trying to bring?" he wondered, slightly concerned about why she might need more than two bags.

She was quiet for a moment, before he heard her mumble, "Four."

"Oh Darlin, I'm sorry to say that I don't think four bags would even fit in your room," he laughed.

"Where are you sticking me? A cupboard under the stairs?" she asked, exasperated.

"Worse, broom closet," he joked. "Listen, just cut down a bit. Remember, we do have stores in America. We'll get you what you need."

"Fine," she said, huffing a bit. "Do you want to talk to Ma? I have to go reevaluate my whole wardrobe."

"Absolutely. Can't wait to see you, Baby. Have a safe flight, love you," he said, knowing that she wasn't really upset.

"Love you too, Da," she said, with a smile in her voice, before handing the phone to Fiona.

"Christ, Filip, your daughter is driving me up a wall," he heard Fiona's tired voice say.

"Why is she only my daughter when she is driving you up a wall or punching somebody, but when she is all calm and sweet and angelic, she is your daughter?" he questioned.

"Because that's just the way it is," Fiona replied.

"Ah, I see then. How are you, Love?" he asked.

"Doing fine. Not actually feeling all that well, and I'll be glad once we get there," she answered honestly.

"What's wrong?" He was a little bit worried. Fiona was tough as nails and rarely admitted to not feeling well.

"Just tired, I think, and a bit sore. I haven't been sleeping well lately, I suppose. Probably too excited. I'm going on a trip to visit my husband, you see," she said, trying to ease his worry.

"Lucky guy," he joked. "But really, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, Love. I am fine. Or I will be, as soon as I get Kerryanne squared away. Four suitcases, she wanted to bring! Can you believe that?" she asked.

"Says the woman who packed an 80 pound bag for a week long trip," he reminded her.

"I didn't hear you complain too hard about the fact that most of it was lingerie," she retorted.

"Good point," he admitted, and they shared a laugh. He loved the sound of her laugh, and it always, always made him want to kiss her soundly. He was so damned happy that they would be here soon. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you need me to do anything?"

"Just pick us up tomorrow. Don't worry about me, I will be fine. I will drug Kerryanne and get some sleep on the plane," she assured him. She was quiet for a moment. "I love you, you know."

"I know, Fi. Love you, too. I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Absolutely. Goodbye, Love!" she said, before hanging up.

He hung up the phone with a smile on his face, though he couldn't help but be at least a little worried about Fiona. With his luck, they would arrive just in time for her to come down with bubonic plague. Figuring he might as well face the inevitable, he turned to walk inside, ready to deal with whatever was wrong with Tara. He found her sitting on the couch, flipping channels. Abel was asleep by her side. He claimed the third cushion as his own. He looked over at her. Her face was calm and she was actually smiling at him.

"You don't look as if you've been in here crying hysterically," he observed.

"Yeah, I haven't been. When I start crying, Gemma always leaves. It's like an automatic response in her. Therefore, when she starts annoying the shit out of me, I pretend to start crying. Works every time," she bragged.

"Shit, do you suppose that would work for me?" he asked, somewhat impressed by the heavily pregnant doctor.

"Not a chance," Tara smirked at him, before turning her attention back to The Real Housewives of Wherever.

_Women_, he thought, rolling his eyes and reaching for the laptop. Since he figured that there was very little chance of him getting his TV back anytime soon, so he might as well get some Minesweeper in, before Gemma got back with lunch and started to force him to do more unnecessary rearranging or straightening. This day sucked, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter. His girls were worth it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi Guys! Enjoy the chapter, thank you for reading! Please take a minute to review!**

11:38 AM found Filip sitting in a ridiculously uncomfortable airport lobby chair, trying to force himself to sit still and look cool. It was not in any way working. His girls would be here literally any minute, and he was so ecstatic that there was really no way for him to control the incessant fidgeting and foot tapping. This was doing nothing to endear him in the eyes of Gemma, who was glaring from the seat across from him. On the plus side, Opie found it hilarious and was outright laughing at him.

Picking up Fiona and Kerryanne had turned into a real SAMCRO affair. Tara insisted on coming, just because Abel had been crying incessantly, and she had hoped that seeing the planes would soothe him. It hadn't. When Gemma found out that Tara and Abel were going, she insisted on coming as well, dragging Chuckie along with her. Opie had pretty much just come to make sure that Filip didn't end up suffering from estrogen overload. That and to laugh at him. Piney and Kozik were minding the garage, which probably meant that they were getting drunk and having sex with anybody who would have them.

With a frustrated sigh, he stood and began pacing again. He had always had a hard time sitting still when he was nervous, or anxious, or excited. He knew that everybody there was staring at him. Gemma wanted to hit him. Opie clearly thought he was a love sick idiot. Tara was misty eyes and looking like she thought he was precious for being anxious. They could all go to hell. Any minute, his girls would come strolling in from the international terminal. Then, and only then, would he relax.

As if on cue, he saw Kerrianne's distinct brown curls. She was weaving her way through a crowd of people, all of whom looked very annoyed, knocking them out of the way when necessary, and making a beeline directly for him. His face broke out into a grin, and within a second she was barreling into him and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. After going for two and a half months without seeing her, his baby girl was alive and well and _finally here_ with him.

He hugged her back, holding her for a long moment, before kissing the top of her head. He leaned back to get a good look at her, happy to find she was just as whole, healthy, and beautiful as she had been when he last left her.

"Hi there, Sweetheart," he said, still in the process of looking her over. "I'm so glad to see you here."

"Hi Da! I am so glad to be here. I missed you," she replied, standing on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek.

"Where's your Ma?" he asked her, finally taking his eyes off of her to scan the crowd for Fiona.

"Somewhere back there. We caught sight of you before the bend and I sort of took off. Hopefully, she won't be too mad that I ditched her," Kerry admitted. He rolled his eyes at her and laughed, before she turned her attention to the people now gathered behind him. This time, it was him that got ditched so that she should hug Opie, but he was okay with that, because he had finally spotted Fiona.

She had emerged from behind a cluster of Korean tourists. She looked absolutely exhausted, which pretty much told him that she hadn't kept her promise to get some sleep on the plane. Her hair was pulled back, and she walked like somebody who had clearly spent the past nine hours on a plane. He found her absolutely gorgeous. She was carrying what looked to be every single piece of carry-on luggage they had. He smiled a little bit wider when he saw every last bit of it hit the floor, and then she was in his arms again.

Her head rested against his chest, and her arms were tightly wrapped around his middle. For a few minutes, the world around them just didn't exist. He took inventory; she was still short and tiny against him, still impossibly warm, still smelled like apples. Everything was right with the world. She lifted her head from his chest, just enough to look at him. Her soft brown eyes were full of happiness, and the tired bags around them did nothing to take away from their beauty. He didn't hesitate before kissing her, not as deeply as he would later, but just enough to know that she still tasted the same, too.

"Hey," he said softly to her, a huge smile settling on his face, "I'm so damned happy you're here. Missed you, Fi."

"Hey," she responded in kind, "Me too, Love."

They were so caught up in each other that, for a minute, they didn't notice the many, many sets of eyes that were trained on them. It wasn't until Filip heard Tara's quiet sobs that he turned his attention towards the other members of their party. Kerrianne was standing between Opie and Gemma, with an arm thrown around Opie, looking slightly grossed out but secretly thrilled watching her parents together. Abel was toddling round making airplane noises, Chuckie joining in on that bit of fun, while Tara was just staring at them with tears running down her face. He looked at her, his eyebrows raised in question.

"What?" she exclaimed, making him jump slightly at the force behind her question, "You two are just so damned cute and sweet together and I miss Jax so much!"

Filip rolled his eyes, offended at being referred to as "cute" or "sweet", as Tara's tears truly started. Luckily, Gemma moved to comfort Tara, while Opie tried in vain to hide his laughter. Kerrianne just looked horrified to be seen standing so close to kissing parents, crying women, and a fingerless man. Abel just looked like a confused baby. Filip sighed.

"Come on, Love. Let's go get your bags, so that we can ditch the crying, pregnant lady and the rest of this motley crew of misfits," he said to Fiona, kissing her on the forehead and earning a chuckle in return.

After making their way to the baggage claim and retrieving the four massive suitcases, they made their way to the parking garage when they somehow managed to load all four suitcases, two carry-ons, one backpack, and a large, well-stocked purse into the back of Gemma's SUV. Gemma drove Tara's car with Abel and Chuckie in the backseat, while Opie drove Gemma's vehicle. He had no problem letting Kerrianne have the passenger seat, as there was more than enough legroom in the back, and it meant he and Fi were together.

They rode for a while, and he watched Kerrianne's face pressed against the window, taking in sights. She threw random questions out as they rode, asking about nearly each and every place of interest that they passed. He and Opie took turns answering, telling her that yes, it really is always sunny in California, and yes, there is in fact a Walmart, McDonalds, and Starbucks every mile and a half, but no, they would not find any of these in Charming. The longer they drove, the fewer her questions got. When they had a few moments of silence, he looked down, ready to whisper something to Fiona. He stopped in his tracks when he found her sound asleep against his shoulder.

He smiled softly at the image, knowing in his heart that he would never, ever get tired of her falling asleep against him. He supposed that the days of packing and missed sleep, hours of traveling, time zone changes, and excitement at the little family reunion had finally caught up with her. He knew that she hadn't been getting much sleep lately, and was glad that she could catch it now, curled against him. It would be roughly an hour and a half back to Charming, and he was more than happy to let her sleep the entire trip. Dropping a kiss on the top of her head, he made himself comfortable against the door, his eyes resting again on his daughter, just happy to have his family whole again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3! Hope that you guys enjoy! Please take a few minutes to review if you can! Thanks!**

A week and a half later found Fiona and Kerrianne settled in nicely. Kerrianne had insisted on immediately painting her small bedroom purple. He and Fiona had helped her, and all three of them had ended up covered in paint, resulting in him ending the day with much, much shorter hair than he had started with. He really didn't mind, though. Nobody that he had met so far could cut his hair like Fiona could.

He was taking Kerrianne to visit with Juice today. She had been practically begging him to take her for a few days. He knew that she had grown close to him while they were in Belfast, even knew that she wrote to him, and he was glad. He knew that she was missing her cousin Paddy, and if her friendship with Juice helped to fill that void, then he had no problem with it. She had been up and ready to go since 8:00 am. He had hoped Fiona would ride with them, but when he had tried to wake her up, she had smacked him and muttered something about "go away" and "beauty rest" and "bring home something good for lunch".

He supposed that it was partially his fault. She had been tired since she got here, and he really should be letting her get more sleep, but whenever they were together, in the same room, in the same bed, one thing pretty much always lead to another. So yeah, he was to blame for her exhaustion, but he wouldn't be apologizing for it anytime soon. She was pretty much insatiable these days, which was absolutely fine with him. He would do his best to keep up with her.

On the upside, Fiona staying at home had given him and Kerrianne the opportunity to take the bike out to Stockton. As it turned out, Kerrianne had never actually ridden more than 10 miles per hour on a motorcycle before, and she loved it. He loved finding out that she loved it, though he could have done without her bitching about her hair afterwards, but he supposed that was because she was a girl and that's what they did.

He was sitting with Jax, while Juice was at the next table, schooling Kerrianne on the finer points of downloading movies and music illegally. Filip just hoped that whatever she was learning did not eventually land her here in Stockton. Meanwhile, he was updating Jackey Boy on the goings on around Charming.

"So how is Tara?" was of course the first thing Jax had asked.

"Not bad, I think. Abel is getting big. He is keeping her on her toe, that's for sure," Filip laughed.

"But she is doing okay? Everybody is helping her out?" he questioned.

"Aye. I think they are coming for dinner tonight, that is unless she decided that she is 'too fat to be seen in public'. Again," Filip explained, rolling his eyes.

Jax laughed, before asking, "Fiona stay home?"

"Aye, she's not feeling well, hasn't been for a couple of weeks. She was still sleeping when we left," he explained, allowing the worry to creep back in.

"You should make Tara work for her food. Ask her to check Fi out, make sure that she's fine, then you can really begin…enjoying the visit," Jax said with a smirk.

"Trust me, Jackey Boy. There has been plenty of enjoying," Filip replied, with a smirk of his own.

He changed the topic, eager to not think too hard on the possibility of his wife being ill, nor the vigorous enjoying that had happened very, very early this morning. He was in a prison visiting another man, and he would hate to give anybody the wrong idea by standing to leave with a massive erection. Maybe he really would ask Tara to at least talk to Fiona, though. First, he would have to get Fiona to agree to it, which would be tricky. He proceeded to updated Jax on Club business, including all off the information he had gotten in Belfast regarding their guns. The guys were all in prison, but they were all kept up to date regarding things that were happening. Usually, he left it to Opie to relay information, but he was here anyway, and it had been a long time since he had time to just sit around and talk to Jax or any of the other guys. He missed it. Shit, he missed them.

He spent awhile talking with Jax, but before long, the guards were signaling the end of visiting hours. Jax hugged him and asked him to look after Tara, which he didn't even need to ask. It was an unspoken agreement between the brothers, all of them. Old Ladies were respected and always, always taken care of. He knew, without a doubt that if something were to happen to him, the guys would make sure that Fiona and Kerrianne were taken care of, had everything they needed.

Kerrianne was hugging Juice, and with a nod of permission from the guard, he walked over to retrieve his daughter and hug the boy wonder.

"Doing okay, Juicy?" he asked, looking the boy over. Prison had ensured that the stupid haircut was gone, that much he was thankful for.

"Yeah, man. Can't complain. You doing okay? Beat expert on Minesweeper yet?" Juice wondered.

"I'm great. Getting close on Minesweeper, but Kerri won't let me play that much. She keeps insisting that I do things, like spend time with her and shit like that. Women, I tell you," he joked, putting and arm around Kerrianne, who received his joke and responded with an elbow to his gut. He could joke about it all he wanted, but every last person here knew that spending time with Kerrianne, and Fiona too, was just about his favorite thing to do.

"You're lucky, dude. All I get to do is spend time with Tig. I am not sure whose sick idea it was to make me his cell mate, but it blows," Juice complained.

"Aye, I would certainly sleep on your back with at least one eye open. You can never be too careful with that one," Filip replied. He had had to bunk with Tig exactly one time, and it was not a mistake he would be willing to repeat ever again.

The guard was gesturing to them again, and they knew that their time really was up, now. Juice hugged Kerrianne, before moving on to give him a shockingly tight hug as well.

"You guys will come again soon, right?" Juice asked, sounding a little bit scared that they might say no.

"Next week," Kerrianne responded. "I am going to try those sites you told me about. Have to come thank you if they work and mock you if they don't!"

Filip nodded in agreement, and Juice smiled at both of them before being lead out by the guard. He heard Kerrianne sigh, and knew that she was sad to see her friend in prison, knew that she was worried about him. He put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close to him.

"He'll be okay, Kerri. We'll come back next week and you can see him again. However, if you get me arrested for illegally downloading Twilight movies or something, I promise you won't see him next week, because I will kill him with a shiv made from a plastic fork," he explained, only half kidding.

"Ew, Da. Not Twilight movies. I will only be downloading illegal and highly inappropriate porn. Gotta have something to keep me entertained while you and Ma are shagging nine times a day," she joked, or at least he hoped she was joking. He didn't think about it too hard.

On their way home, they treated themselves to McDonald's, which was quickly becoming Kerrianne's new favorite source of food. He was a firm believer that there was almost no trouble in the world that could not erased, or at the very least lessened, with a French fries. Truly, Kerrianne seemed in better spirits by the time they left, making sure to bring something back for Fiona. He somehow allowed himself to be conned into watching a movie of her choosing when they got home though.

Fiona was up and about when they got back, but immediately ordered them both to shower before starting the movie, because she claimed that they both "smelled like prison". She was enamored with the fries, so he could not persuade her to join him, so it was a quick, solo shower. By the time he joined them on the couch, they were sitting quietly, smiling at him, with the movie already queued up and ready to go. He took that as a bad sign.

Of course they wanted to watch Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time. There was something about his girls and this movie. Neither of them could get enough of it. He didn't mind it too much. He was a pretty big fan of the book, after all. However, before the first time Darcy fucked everything up, Kerrianne was illegally downloading other movies and Fiona was asleep against his chest. He was half watching the movie and half watching his girls. He was completely content and comfortable right here where he was.

So passed another day in the Telford house.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is the next part! Hope everybody enjoys, please review!**

Fiona had taken to working a few hours a week at the garage, helping out Gemma. Really, they were both well aware that she was doing it as an excuse to be closer to him, keep an eye on him. He knew that she wasn't actually comfortable with the Club, especially with its stance when it came to women and their place in it. He knew that some men lived happily at home with wives and families, and then went to the Club house and fucked anything that moved. Tig, for example, had been one of those men. Hell, it had ruined every last one of Bobby's marriages.

Fiona had made it very clear to him that sleeping around was not something she would deal with, at least not while she was around. She had very nearly broken his heart when she told him that, while he was in Charming alone, he could sleep with other women as he saw fit, but when they were together, they would be together. He had very nearly exploded during that conversation. He couldn't understand why, if she loved him as much as she said she did, she would give him permission to sleep with somebody else. What if that meant she thought she could be with somebody else whenever he wasn't around? Because if that is what she thought, she sure as hell was wrong.

It was about the closet they had come to a real fight in these past six months. Eventually, he had calmed down enough to clearly explain to her that it didn't matter how many week or even months they were apart, he had zero desire to sleep with anybody else, and she had admitted that she felt exactly the same way. It wouldn't be fair to anybody. He would be picturing nothing but her, and whatever girl he happened to be with would be sure to disappoint in every way. No, he would be with her every opportunity he could. The weeks apart were in no way easy, but she was well worth the wait. She gave him something more than a crow eater with fake tits could give him; love. And that was exactly what he held out for. Plus, she was way better in bed than any of them were.

Still, he couldn't blame her for wanting to be around more, just to check up on him. Many of the more brazen crow eaters had been driven away, just for sheer lack of pickings. Opie had been claimed, he had been claimed, and Piney was something that nobody wanted to claim. That left Kozik, who had done his share of claiming, and the prospects, who literally nobody wanted to claim. Many had moved on to bigger charters with more available men, and that was absolutely fine with him. He would hate for Kerrianne to pick up some of their more undesirable habits.

Kerrianne was currently working with her Da, "helping" him change the oil in an old Buick. She was handing him the (wrong) tools, all the while complaining about her summer term homework and debating the topic for her lit paper that she would have to write before returning to school in the fall. He wasn't sure why she was worrying about such things now; the start of school term was roughly five and a half weeks away, which mean that she had about five weeks before she really had to worry about such things.

"But Da, don't you think that the teachers will be expecting me to write an analysis of some classic piece of literature? Maybe I should choose something by Dickens," she second guessed herself aloud.

"Of course that is what they will be expecting you to do. Everybody will be reading an analyzing some classic piece by Dickens. Which is exactly why you shouldn't. Would you really want to read 100 essays on Great Expectation?" he asked.

"Yeah, but what else could I possibly write about? I want to go with something I know," she explained.

"You could always go for The Odyssey. Didn't you read that last year?" he asked. "Could you hand me the socket?"

Inexplicably, she handed him a ball peen hammer. "Yeah, and it was good. But I don't know if I would be good at analyzing that. How does one examine Odysseus's motives and identify the driving force behind his actions? That is what the teacher kept trying to get us to do last year. It was brutal," she whined.

He laughed. "Well, I could help you," he offered, getting his own socket while she wasn't looking.

"Oh, and you are an expert on The Odyssey?" she asked, with her eyebrows raised in a haughty teenage fashion.

"Kerryanne, it is pretty much my life story," he turned to her, mocking her teenage angst so perfectly with his own eyebrows, that really she had no choice but to laugh.

"So you will really help me? You promise?" she asked, lauging.

"Absolutely, Love. Now please, sit here and try to figure out the difference between a hammer and a wrench. I have to go get this lovely Buick owner her paperwork," he said, kissing her on the forehead and ignoring her whines of protest at being asked to study tools.

He found Gemma alone in the office. He handed her the paperwork, silently asking her to deal with the half deaf old bat of a lady who enjoyed getting handy with the mechanics. She rolled her eyes and took it.

"Thanks Gem," he said with as charming of a smile as he could muster. "Where's Fi?"

"She was complaining of a headache. Took a break about 20 minutes ago and I haven't seen her since," Gemma replied. "If you find her, tell her that we're done for the day. I'm headed out. I need to drop off these invoices at Oswald's."

He nodded absentmindedly. Just then, a thought occurred to him. "Hey Gem, how old is Oswald's girl now? 14? 15?

"Somewhere in there, why?" she asked.

"Do me a favor? Take Kerrianne with you, introduce them if you get a chance?" he said. Gemma raised her eyebrows. "I just figure that she could use a friend. She is spending all of her time either here or at the house. That's got to get boring."

"You got it, Sweetie," she smiled at him. "You're a good Dad, you know?"

He didn't say anything, but smiled and gave her a one armed hug, hoping that this would not blow up in his face, before he wandered off to find Fiona.

An exhaustive search told him that she was not in the bar, she was not in the bathroom, nor was she in the kitchen. Finally, following a hunch that lead him to his dorm, he found her. She was lounged across his tiny bed, looking just as relaxed as he had ever seen her, smiling up at him.

"Hello, Love," she grinned at him, reaching her hand out for him to take, and pulled him into bed next to her when he did take it. He didn't mind at all. He pulled her body as close to his as he possibly could.

"Hello yourself," he said, kissing her softly. "What's this I hear about a headache?"

"Ack," she said, avoiding his eyes. "Gemma is a headache. Just wanted to rest for a while, found this room. Yours?"

"How'd you know?" he asked, truly curious.

"Smells like you. That, and I hope none of your friends have pictures of Kerrianne in their rooms," she answered, kissing him again.

"Yeah, they better not. Now tell me, Love, what exactly do I smell like?" he wondered, eager to hear her answer.

Her response was to bury her nose in his neck and take a deep breath. He managed not to giggle like a small child, but only just. When she finally emerged, the only response she had was, "Heaven."

He kissed her deeply, enjoying the way her body responded to his, the way her arms held him tightly, the way her lips moved against his, the way her tongue tasted of the chocolate that he knew she kept in her purse, even if she did consistently deny it. He just could not get enough of her.

Bringing the kiss to an end, he rested his head next to hers on the pillow.

"God I love you, Fi," he said, as plain as day.

"Love you too, Filip," she replied with a smile that warmed him to his core.

"You love me enough to do something for me?" he asked, knowing that she wouldn't say no.

She rolled her eyes.

"I am fine! I've just been tired is all, and people get headaches all the time. You are being ridiculous," she complained, clearly sensing where he was going with this.

"I know you are fine, so I really don't see the harm in letting Tara look you over, just to be safe," he told her, not willing to give up the fight yet. His lips found themselves on her neck, working to convince her. It seemed to be the right touch.

"Mmmmmm," she moaned, her hands working themselves into his hair. "Why do you have to be so mean to me?"

"Not being mean. Being a devoted husband," he replied, continuing his work on her neck, but making no move to do anything more. He was well aware of exactly what he was doing, and knew that he was driving her crazy.

She gave an impatient moan, before asking, "Why don't you be a devoted husband a little farther south?"

He chuckled, before removing his lips from her neck.

"Absolutely," he said with an innocent face. "Just as soon as you agree to let Tara take a little bit of blood. Just one tiny, insignificant vial, and then both of us will be very, very happy. Promise."

She was looking at him with narrowed eyes. "How happy, exactly?"

He grinned, knowing that he had her. "Exactly as happy as you want to be, Love. I'm yours to use as you please."

She groaned, while he continued to smirk. "Fine. Tara can take some blood if I don't feel better in a few days. But that's it, and when it comes out that I am perfectly fine, you are going to owe me big. Now get naked."

"I think I am fine with that. Just want to make sure you're alright, Love," he told her, settling his lips back on her neck and doing exactly as she asked him to do in his quest to be the most devoted of husbands.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is the next part! I have to say that the direction that this story is going to go in may surprise some people, but it was kind of inspired by some experiences in my lovely family, and I am kind of in love with this idea and the scenarios that can be created. So haters can hate but I hope you guys enjoy where this is headed, and I hope that you will too! Please read and review if you have a minute!**

Several days later, he found himself leaving the garage early. The only reason he had gone in at all today was because Kerrianne had insisted. Today, his baby daughter was turning fifteen years old, and she had very specific plans for the day. This morning, he had been sent unceremoniously to work so that Kerrianne and Fiona could stay in their pajamas, eat a breakfast of ice cream, and do each other's nails. He had been told to be home by 12:30, at which time he would take her out to lunch and then take her to shoot guns, as she had developed a bit of skill that she was eager to show off. They had to be home by 4:30 at the latest, so that she could "shower and get ready", whatever that meant, for the birthday dinner Gemma was cooking her. Tristen Oswald and her parents were coming, as was every non-incarcerated member of SAMCRO. It would be an interesting evening, to say the least.

He was glad to see that Kerrianne had planned an excellent birthday, and even more happy to see that she was enjoying herself here in Charming. Not only had she and the Oswald girl bonded pretty much instantly, at least enough to warrant and invitation to the birthday dinner, but she was also getting along great with Tara, Gemma, Opie, Lila, and Kozik. Even she and Piney liked each other, especially after the old man had taught her which tools were which. She had been babysitting for Tara, and Abel absolutely adored her. The purple walls of her bedroom were becoming more and more full, as she hung up pictures and decorated it to fit her own tastes. She was settling in; Fiona had reported that Kerrianne had requested to stay an extra week, until her summer break was absolutely over. He was beginning to feel more and more hopeful that maybe, eventually, he could convince her to stay forever.

He parked his bike and headed towards the front door, sincerely hoping that they were done. He thought that nail polish looked lovely on his girls, but he wanted absolutely no part in its application. The last time he was in the house during a do it yourself manicure day, he had fallen asleep and woken up with sparkly purple toenails. After laughing at him for an hour straight, and taking multiple pictures, much to his dismay, Fiona had finally taken pity on him and removed it, which forced him to endure the lingering smell of acetone, which made him want to vomit. It was not something he wanted to repeat anytime soon.

Unlocking the door, he wandered inside and was not greeted by the expected sight. Kerrianne was sitting, alone, on the couch, reading a book. The various nail colors and the dreaded acetone were, thankfully, put away, and he happily noted that Kerri's nail were currently a violent shade of neon green. Fiona was nowhere to be seen.

"Hello Baby," he greeted her with a kiss on the forehead and a flower that he had picked from the neighbor's garden. "How was your morning?"

"Not too bad, but Ma's sick," she reported, smiling up at him, but not quite managing to hide her worry.

"What do you mean she's sick?" he asked, instantly worried himself.

"She is puking. She just said she was feeling nauseous and then rushed to the toilet," Kerri explained.

"Alright, stay here for a minute, I am going to check on her," he said and turned to leave.

"Wait, Da. While you are in there, ask her if she has a tampon I can have!" Kerrianne yelled to him.

"You want me to what?" he asked, a little bit shocked. He had never actually thought that he and his daughter might be having a conversation about tampons.

"Ask her if she has one I can have. I figured it would save us a trip to the store, since the last thing either of us probably wants to do is buy tampons together. Although, we probably will have to anyway, because I doubt that Ma has any left, she would have used all she brought with her by now." Kerrianne finally stopped talking for a moment to catch her breath, before she continued to ramble, but Filip was no longer listening. He was thinking about his wife, who was throwing up in the other room. His wife, who had been exhausted for weeks. His wife, who had been to visit him, spent a sex filled week with him about seven weeks ago. His wife, who still had a very full box of lady things sitting on the shelf next to the toilet.

"Kerrianne, listen. Go check on Ma, make sure she is okay. I have to run to the drugstore. I'll be back in ten minutes or so," he said, quickly turning to head back out the door.

"Hang on!" she yelled, causing him to stop in his tracks. "Can you buy me some tampons while you are there?"

He groaned, rolling his eyes, knowing that he couldn't say no. "Yeah, fine. Write down EXACTLY what you need. Hurry," he told her.

Minutes later, he was walking into the drug store with no idea of where to even begin looking for what he needed. He stood there, probably looking mildly deranged, for at least a full minute before a 50 something store clerk asked him if he needed help finding anything.

"Pregnancy test," was all he said, before remembering Kerrianne's request. Handing Kerrianne's note over to the woman, he added, "Oh yeah, and this."

Shockingly quickly, he was on his way out the door with his required items, plus a small mountain of chocolate that the store lady suggested for the girls, and some cigarettes that he had a feeling he was going to need for himself. He rode literally as fast as he possibly could back to his house, where he found Kerrianne in nearly the same position he had left her in.

"That really was fast, Da," she said, giving him a look of mild alarm.

"Yeah, I know," he replied, handing her one bag and doing his best to keep the contents of the other one away from her eyes. "How's Ma?"

"Thanks. Still not feeling good," she responded, this time doing nothing to hide her worry.

"I'm going to go check on her. We may have to pick another day to go shoot at things, Sweetheart," he told her, truly regretting that she was not enjoying her birthday nearly as much as she should be.

Her only answer was a shrug. "It's okay. I have cramps anyway. Go take care of Ma."

He kissed her cheek, well aware that she was the best daughter in the history of the world, even if she did insist on making him extremely uncomfortable by mentioning tampons and cramps, before he made the way down the hall, through their bedroom, and to the master bath. He paused a moment, wondering when he had started thinking of it as "their" bedroom, but not at all minding the fact that he did. He went to the shut bathroom door, and heard water running on the other side. Figuring it was probably safe to enter, he knocked softly, but did not wait for an answer before he pushed the door open.

She was leaning back against the sink, her hair pulled up, looking pale and exhausted. She turned to look at him, and if she was at all surprised that he was barging into the bathroom that she occupied, she didn't show it.

"Hey," was all he said, before pulling her into his arms. Whether his hunch was true or not, he despised her being sick, her feeling bad at all, and would have gladly taken it upon himself if he could have.

"Hey," she mumbled into his chest, collapsing like a rag doll into the hug. "I think you're right. I will go see Tara. I think I'm sick."

He was quiet for a moment. He wondered if she had any idea at all. He kissed the top of her head before admitting, "Yeah, I heard. I think I might know why."

She shot him a curious look, and he took a deep breath and handed her the bag in his hand. She opened it and looked inside, staring at its contents. The look of shock on her face would have been hilarious, if they had been in a different situation.

"But…Filip…I am almost 45 years old. I can't be…can I?" she stammered, still not over the initial shock.

"Only one way to find out, Love," was his only response.

She nodded and gestured towards the door. He took that as his hint to leave the room. He stood with his back to the door, thinking. There were way, way too many thoughts that were vying for top spot in his mind. What would they do if the test was positive? Would Fiona be happy about it? Would she be mad at him? Would they move here? Would they expect him to move to Belfast? Could they really be parents again? Could everything work out okay? What about Kerrianne? Would she be happy? Jealous? Angry? Did she even want a younger brother or sister? And then there was him. What did he want? He loved his wife and he loved his daughter, but did he really want to start all over again, with another baby?

"Filip? You can come in now," he heard Fiona's quiet voice from the other side of the door. He opened the door to find her sitting against the bathroom wall. "It said not to read it for at least 6 minutes. Can you wait with me?"

He immediately felt like an asshole. Filip hadn't even considered how terrified and shocked she must be right now. He decided then and there that whatever she wanted to do, however she wanted to feel, he would support her. He loved her. He would do all of this, all over again, for her. He sat right next to her on the bathroom floor and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her close.

"I didn't even consider it Filip. I should have, but I didn't. I thought I was too old for this, thought it wouldn't even be a possibility. All of those years with Jimmy, I was careful. Never, not even once, did this happen. But six months around you, and here we are. Careful kind of goes out the window when it comes to you," she rambled. She took a deep breath. "What are we going to do?"

He took her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him, knowing that seeing her face always calmed him down. "It will be okay, Fi. We will figure this out, yeah? Let's just wait and few minutes and see what it says."

"Yeah," she said, leaning against his shoulder. He smiled, remembering that they had been in exactly this position almost sixteen years ago, on the bathroom floor of their Belfast flat, the night they found out about Kerrianne. That hadn't turned out so badly. Maybe this wouldn't either. She interrupted his thoughts to ask the only question that truly mattered right now, "Do you think that you will be happy? If that test is positive?"

He looked at her, saw the budding excitement on her face. He could picture it, Fiona growing round with his child for a third time. He could see him and Fi and Kerrianne and a new little baby; a healthy baby. Slowly, he nodded his head.

"Yeah," he said, a small smile working its way onto his face. "Yeah, I think I will be pretty damned happy."

"Me too," she said, kissing him slowly. And that's what they were still doing two minutes later, when the timer went off.

She squeezed his hand as she got up to retrieve the test off the back of the toilet. He watched her pick up the test and just stare at it. Her expression did not change at all. She just looked at it. She looked for so long that he was beginning to wonder if he needed to go snatch the test out of her hand, but it wasn't necessary. Just then, she looked up at him.

"I think we should probably call the doctor," she said. "I'm pregnant."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all so much for the positive responses to the last chapter. I am so glad that you guys liked it! Here is the next one. Enjoy reading and please review if you have a moment!**

They left Kerrianne in her room, on the phone, with promises to be back as soon as possible. Gemma had arranged a car for Fiona to borrow while she was in town, and that is where they headed. Filip figured that it probably was not a great idea to have a pregnant woman on the back of a motorcycle. They headed immediately for St. Thomas's. Abel had been at the garage with Gemma earlier, and he hoped to God that meant Tara was at work this morning. The stubborn doctor had insisted on working as long as possible before taking maternity leave, and he had never been so thankful that she didn't listen to any of their pleas to stop.

When they arrived, they made their way up to the floor he knew he would find Tara's office on. Fiona was very quiet, and he could tell she was nervous. Seeing the little pink plus sign on the stick had been one thing, but Filip knew that they would not be one hundred percent comfortable with feeling anything until it was confirmed by the good doctor. Looking around the floor, he spotted a nurse.

"Excuse me," he said, a little too loudly. It attracted the attention of about ten people near them. He heard Fiona stifle a laugh behind him. He quickly lowered his voice. "Is Dr. Knowles here? I really need to see her."

"And who are you?" the nurse asked, her tone telling him that she really didn't appreciate the likes of him interrupting her.

"A friend," he replied shortly, trying his best to maintain his temper.

"Well, your friend is busy doing her job right now," the snotty nurse retorted, clearly dismissing him.

He opened his mouth to tell her exactly what she could do with her smart mouth, but Fiona put her hand on his arm to stop him. She squeezed and gave him a small smile, before stepping around him and facing the nurse herself.

"Hi, what is your name, Dearie?" she asked the nurse, her voice saccharine sweet.

"Lucille," the nurse replied a little bit cautious, making Filip wonder if she was sensing exactly how dangerous Fiona could be when riled up.

"Well then, Lucille, you will have to forgive my husband here. He just got some news that I am afraid jarred him a bit, so he is kind of on edge," Fiona explained, her voice never once losing the sweet tone. "However, he is the least of your concerns right now. We really need to see our friend, Dr. Knowles, so why don't you run along and fetch her, before you get beaten to a pulp by the oldest pregnant woman you have ever seen? Does that sound okay to you?"

The nurse backed away slowly, looking as if she was about to cry, presumably to go find Tara.

He gave Fi an appraising look, eyebrows raised. "Christ, woman. Have I told you lately exactly how fucking amazing you are?"

"Yes, but it never hurts to hear it," she replied, kissing him sweetly.

Before he could say much of anything else, Tara rounded the corner with her boss, the bitchy red headed one. She stopped short, very surprised to see not only him, but Fiona there as well. He had studiously avoided hospitals, especially this one, since his car bomb mishap. It was something about the way they smelled that always got to him and actually made him feel sick.

"Hey there, Doc," he said, offering Tara a smile.

"Hey Chibs, Fiona. Is everything okay? Is Abel alright?" she asked rather quickly.

"Yeah, yeah. Abel's fine, saw him just a couple of hours ago with Gemma at the garage," he explained, feeling dumb for worrying her. "No, this visit is of a more…personal nature."

"Ah, good. Did he finally convince you to let me draw that blood, just so that he would get off of your back?" she asked Fiona, with a smile. Her only response was a weak laugh.

"Yeah, no. Not exactly. At least I don't think blood is required for this sort of thing. Is it?" he asked Fiona, not really sure what all went into the process of actually determining pregnancy.

She rolled her eyes at him, before turning to Tara, whipping out her pregnancy test, and explaining, "What my ever so eloquent husband is trying to say is that I am pretty sure I am pregnant and would really like to confirm that before we go crib shopping or anything like that."

Tara stared at it for about half a minute before she let out a laugh. "Seriously? Are you guys serious?"

They stared at her, hoping that their faces indicated exactly how serious they were.

"Holy shit," Tara said, laughing. "Holy shit. Yeah, come on. We will get some blood to know for sure. Other than that-"

"Excuse me Dr. Knowles. I know that Dr. Lake is at a conference this week. There is nobody in her patient area, and I am sure she wouldn't mind you using her equipment, if you wanted to. As long as you were careful," Margaret interrupted. "That way, you wouldn't have to wait for the blood work to come back. You would know today."

She offered him a smile, which genuinely surprised him. The last time he had any interaction with Margaret Murphy, she had been trying to boot him from St. Thomas. He had figured that, after being kidnapped and held captive for the sake of the club, she would be a little more bitter and nasty when it came to him asking favors, but either way, he was grateful. He nodded his thanks.

"Absolutely. Let's go have a look at your uterus!" Tara exclaimed, taking Fiona's hand and dragging her away.

"Um, is this something I want to see?" he asked, a little bit terrified. He was a pretty big fan of external lady parts, but the internal ones were a mystery to him.

"Yeah, Chibs, come on. Hurry up," Tara urged, clearly excited, which did nothing to calm his and Fiona's excitement. "I want to see!"

In no time, Tara had Fiona on a table with her shirt hiked up, surrounded by all sorts of machines. To say that Filip was a bit freaked out would have been an understatement. He hadn't been around for most of these kind of appointments in the past. In Ireland, he had been too busy gun running or offing people for the IRA. Of course, Fiona had shown him the tiny, blurry black and white images that were impossible to decipher, but he had missed this nervous excitement at the doctor's office. He was now freely admitting it: he was excited. So excited that, if this all turned out to be some sort of fluke, he was going to be at least a little bit disappointed, though he would never tell Fiona that.

He was sitting impatiently near the head of the table that Fiona was laying on. He was staring at a small blank screen, not at all sure what he was expecting to see on it. He was also doing the whole fidgeting and foot tapping thing again, which seemed to make the women smirk, as if they found it endearing. He was suddenly feeling very lucky that Gemma was not here. He doubted that she would find it so endearing. Fiona reached over and took his hand, which was all that he really needed to calm down, and gestured towards the screen. Tara was using the ultrasound thing now, and they were seeing images on the once blank screen.

"Does that feel as weird as it looks?" was the only thing that he could think to ask.

Fiona smiled at him and squeezed his hand, "It's not bad. A little cold is all."

"What are we supposed to be looking for?" he asked. Filip was well aware of how an ultrasound worked. He knew that the grey tone images on the screen were Fiona's insides, but he couldn't make heads or tails of anything he was seeing.

"That!" Tara spoke up, a smile on her face. She was pointing to an oddly shaped…thing in the middle of the screen. It looked like a Sour Patch Kid.

"That?" he asked.

"That," she said.

"Yeah, but what is it?" he asked, suddenly worried that Fiona was sporting a strange tumor or something.

"That's your baby, Chibs," she said, with an exaggerated eye roll. "See that little flashing thing right there? Listen."

She fiddled with a dial, and suddenly, the room was filled with a strange noise. It took him a minute to realize that he was hearing a heartbeat. It was the strangest, best sound he had ever heard. Then he changed his mind when he heard Fiona's laugh join the little heartbeat, and decided that that combo was the best sound he had ever heard.

He stared, completely captivated, at the tiny blob on the screen. It didn't look like it quite yet, but that was his baby. It had a heartbeat, one that he had helped make. It would keep growing, and hopefully look less like a tiny blob, and one day soon, it would be born. If they were lucky, it would grow into a baby and a toddler and a child, and eventually, an adult. If they were very lucky, it would be as amazing as its sister. Without even consciously deciding it, Filip knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved this Sour Patch Kid, and if Fiona's laugh and the way she was firmly squeezing his hand was any indication, she loved it just as much as he did.

"Wow," was all he could think to say.

"Wow is right," Tara replied. "This is so awesome guys. Look at it! It's so little. It looks like you are about 7-8 weeks."

"Does it look okay? Is it healthy?" Fiona immediately asked. Filip knew that she was thinking back to their last baby, who had unfortunately not been so healthy. He didn't blame her. His breath immediately caught, and he prayed with everything he had that this little blob came out healthy and safe.

"Yeah, it looks good. That is a good, strong heartbeat. Nice and steady, good rate that we like to see. We are going to take some blood, I will set you up with my OB who is excellent, and we will know more when the blood work comes back, but I wouldn't worry. Go buy some baby books, guys. It looks like you're going to be parents," she told them. They both just stared at the screen, where their little Sour Patch Kid was hanging out, heart beating like crazy. "Do you guys want me to print you a picture?"

That at least got a nod out of each of them. Tara pressed some buttons, shutting off the ultrasound, and then left the room for a minute. Fiona was sitting up, wiping goo off of her stomach. He watched her, waiting to catch her eye. When he finally did, she beamed at him.

"So, I guess you are going to be a Da," she casually.

"Aye," he replied. "Is it okay to tell you how fucking ecstatic I am?"

"I think so," she said, and with that, he caught her up in a tight, fierce hug.

As he held her close, still overcome with the idea that he was going to be a father again, he whispered to her, "I love you, you know?"

"I know," she told him, her eyes full of happy tears. "And I love you, Filip."


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is chapter 7! I want to thank you guys so much for the reviews and favorites! It means a lot to me! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please leave a quick review if you get a minute! Thanks so much!**

As Filip drove them away from the hospital, each of them now in possession of a small, square picture of their tiny Sour Patch blob, the ridiculous reality of the situation began to finally set in. They were both in their mid-forties. They had recently resumed a long estranged marriage, and technically, they lived on separate continents. They had a teenage daughter who they both adored, who needed each of them very, very much. She had a strong lineage linked to a violent terrorist organization. He was a member of a band of outlaw bikers. And now, there would be a tiny baby added to this mix.

He knew that, after all that was said and done, not a damned bit of it mattered. During the past hour, every time he thought about what a bad idea this might be, all he could hear in his head was that tiny heartbeat. All he could see was the little white shape on the sonogram. He knew that there were a million and a half reasons why having this baby was probably a bad idea, but he didn't give a shit about any of them. The happiness he was feeling, added with the look of pure love he had seen on his wife's face when she saw that little beating heart was more than enough for him to decide that this baby was a good thing.

They drove in silence for a little while. Fiona hadn't let go of his hand yet, but the beautiful thing about driving in an actual car was that, for the most part, you only needed one hand to drive. He surprised her by not heading for the house, but she didn't call him on it. As soon as he pulled into their destination, she instantly knew why he had come here, and the memory brought a smile to her face.

She had found out that she was pregnant with Kerrianne, she had been thrilled, but she had been so goddamned nauseous, that she could not keep any solid food in her stomach. Filip, being the considerate, sweet husband that he was, took her out to celebrate with the only thing she could manage to stomach: ice cream. By the second time around, she had developed a strong love for ice cream, so even though she wasn't nauseous at all, they celebrated with scoops upon scoops of ice cream. Of course he had remembered, of course he had brought her out for ice cream. That very moment, all she could do was thank her lucky stars that this man was hers.

"What kind?" was all he asked.

"Coffee, please," she said with a smile, sitting at the table while he went to get the ice cream. The place was completely empty, so she had no problem resting her hand on her still flat stomach, asking, "Do you like ice cream, baby?"

Before too long, her Filip came back with large amounts of ice cream. Coffee for her, plain chocolate for him. They could be at a place that served a million different kinds of ice cream, and he would always come back with plain chocolate. It was his favorite, always had been. She took comfort in knowing that some things, at least, never changed.

He sat across from her, raising a spoon in her direction. They were quiet for a while, both eating ice cream and settling in to the idea that they were going to become parents again. They had a lot to talk about, but neither of them was in a hurry, both content to just enjoy the ice cream and the good company for a few minutes. Before long, though, he spoke up.

"So, how does the little one enjoy ice cream?" he asked.

She smiled at him, "So far, so good. I'll let you know if I feel like I am about to wretch."

He chuckled and went for another bite of ice cream, before looking at her again. He took a deep breath and asked, "We have a lot of things to talk about, you know. Do you suppose we are going to do any of that now, or should we keep holding off?"

"I see no reason to hold off. What would you like to discuss, Husband?" she questioned with a smart-ass grin.

He sighed and reached across the table to take her hand, before asking one of the many, many questions that was weighing on his mind, "Am I going to need to move to Belfast, or can I convince you and our lovely daughter to stay in Charming, make a go of it here?"

She looked at him, at his honest, decent face, and his kind eyes. She loved this man, more than she had ever loved any man in her entire life. He deserved every ounce of happiness that she could give him. She knew that she could insist that he come to them, that he uproot his life and leave his brothers and move back to Belfast with them; and he would do it. He would hate it, but he would do it. He wouldn't even complain about it at all, would say that she and their children were worth it. After all, he had never hesitated to give up anything and everything for her best interest. She had always wished that she could think of a way to thank him for all of that, to at least begin to pay him back. Now, here was a golden opportunity, right in front of her, and she would be damned if she would pass it up.

"Ireland is just so green, Love. What if this baby hates green? It is very cold and wet and dreary. That just doesn't sound like something a little baby would enjoy, does it? Sunshine and warmth seems like a much better environment to raise a baby in, don't you agree?" she asked, wondering how he would take this.

"Fi, I am serious," he said.

"So am I, Love. I don't want to end up being an IRA pawn and I don't want Kerrianne to be one either. She won't admit it, but most of her friendships essentially dried up once they kids realized exactly who Jimmy was. There is nothing there for us anymore. We will come here. I like it in Charming. I think our family will be happy here," she said, as plainly as she could. She watched his face, saw him realize that she was serious. Then, she saw the happiness settle in his eyes, across his face, as he realized that he wouldn't have to leave Charming.

"Thank you Fi. It means more than I can explain that you want to come here and be with me, but what about Kerrianne?" he asked.

"Kerrianne is old enough to understand this Filip. After everything she has been through, after everything we have all been through, she is not a child anymore. She loves you, you know, and she won't deny you this chance for us all to be happy together," Fiona insisted. "You just leave Kerrianne to me."

"When should we tell her? I wish I knew if she was going to be happy or excited or pissed off or what," he admitted.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Either way, she will have to deal with it. This little one is going to come whether she likes it or not," Fiona said. "We will all adjust to this, eventually. It's going to be fine Filip. As long as this little one comes out healthy, everything will be fine."

He heard the unspoken worry in her voice, saying that if the baby was not healthy, everything would not be fine. He remembered with vivid clarity the last time Fiona was pregnant. He remembered how they had waited for months, eager to meet their new baby, and within the course of one day, it had all been ripped away. He refused to acknowledge that they might go through that again, refused to believe even for a second that this baby might not be absolutely perfect. This felt different than last time, and he just knew that this baby had to be okay. It just had to be.

"Listen Fi, the baby will be healthy. It won't be like it was with him. Last time was just a fluke, not something neither of us could have helped. This baby won't be like he was," Filip told her firmly, squeezing her hand.

She turned his hand over in hers and traced the lines on his palm, something she had done so many times before. Quietly, she remarked, "You never say his name, you know."

She was right, of course. Leave it to Fiona to call him on shit that most people probably would never notice. It wasn't as if he was just forgetting the boy's name. Andrew. They had named their son Andrew, and then he had died. He consciously never thought of him as that, though. It was easier to think of him in a broad general sense, because when you got down to specifics, such as names, the pain multiplied exponentially.

"I know. It's just hard. It hurts to think about him. Saying his name makes him real," Filip said, finally admitting it out loud. "But I never forgot. Not ever. This little one won't be like him, like Andrew."

"And if it is? If, God forbid, something happens with this baby, is that going to keep our family apart for another ten years?" she asked, needing to hear his answer.

"Fiona, there is not much that I can promise you, but even if I can't give you anything else, I can give you my word that I won't let that happen again. I love you, I love Kerri, and I love this one too. Nothing is going to happen that will hurt that, I swear to you," he said, never even wanting to look away from her, willing her to believe him.

"Alright, Love. Let's go and give our little daughter either the best, or the worst birthday present of her life," she smiled at him, letting go of his hand and standing up.

"Can we wait until tomorrow?" he asked suddenly, joining her.

"I suppose we can, why?" she asked, wondering how her husband, who was genuinely terrible at containing his excitement, would keep it to himself.

"It's her birthday. Let her have her day, if we are going to ruin her life, let's wait until tomorrow," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pressing a kiss to her temple, as they strolled towards the car.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here is the next chapter...everybody loves a birthday party.**

Several hours later, Filip and Fiona were sitting side by side in Gemma's dining room, as Kerrianne finished opening her large haul of birthday presents. So far, she had unwrapped a new laptop from her adoring parents, a massive stash of games and software Juice had ordered from prison, a copper cuff bracelet from Tara, a new purple tool set from Piney, a large amount of clothing from Gemma and Lila, most of which Filip would never, ever allow her to wear, some concert tickets from the Oswalds, a switchblade from Opie, and more than a thousand dollars in cash from Kozik and the rest of the incarcerated guys. She had been well and truly spoiled for her birthday, and Filip could not think of a more deserving kid.

The party was going excellently. Between Gemma, Fiona, and Tara, they had managed a massive spaghetti dinner, large enough to feed the twenty or so people there. They had even somehow produced a giant cake, decorated in all of Kerrianne's favorite colors. They were all gathered here to celebrate his little girl's fifteenth birthday. There was no arguing, there were no Crow eaters, there was no talk of guns, murder, or anything like that. His daughter was spending her birthday surrounded by her family and friends, and she hadn't stopped smiling all day, which was what he had always wanted for her.

Fiona had kept her promise, and they had not yet mentioned anything to Kerrianne about her impending sisterhood. He had arranged with Opie to have the following day off of work, and he and Fiona were planning on taking Kerrianne out, sitting her down, and talking to her. Filip couldn't even begin to guess how that might go. It wasn't that he thought that she would object to being an older sister; he knew that she would probably be fine with that part. He was not so sure about the forced move to Charming part. He knew good and well that she would not be very thrilled at that prospect. He only hoped that eventually she would come around.

He knew that her having a friend here would help. Kerrianne and Tristen were currently curled up on the couch, laughing at something or other on her new laptop. Filip was very proud of himself for that little stroke of genius. In general, he and Elliot Oswald had almost nothing in common. However, each of them did have a little girl that he loved more than life itself, and that was all the common ground they needed. Kissing Fiona, he made his way over to where Elliot, Piney, and Opie were debating the merits of brandy versus tequila. Piney was literally the only one of the side of tequila.

Opie decided that the only way for them to settle this argument was to have a taste of each, therefore he proceeded to pour each of them a shot. Elliot gave a weary glance out of the corner of his eye to ensure that his wife was nowhere in sight. Filip would be doing the same if he didn't know for a fact that Fiona had absolutely no problem with the taste of liquor on his tongue, especially since that would be the only taste of alcohol she would be getting at all for the next several months.

He smiled as Piney raised his glass, "To your girl, Chibs. She's one hell of a kid, now that she knows what a socket wrench looks like!"

That, he could drink to, and he did. Downing his drink, he looked around at these people. He was damned proud of every last one of them. There was extremely pregnant Tara, trying to get through everything and growing a human child at the same time. Gemma was here, making the best of everything and trying not to show how desperately she missed Clay and Jax. Opie and Piney were laughing together, probably not even thinking about how hard each of them had worked to keep this Club going while the rest of the guys were in prison. Little Tristen Oswald, who had been viciously raped by a goddamned carnival clown was here, still smiling, still living her life, and bringing her parents right along for the ride.

Then there were his girls. His Kerriann was somehow fifteen years old today. She had been though more in her short life than he had ever wanted her too. The things she had seen and experienced through the influence of her former self-proclaimed step-father were immense, but they did not seem to weigh her down. She was here, enjoying her birthday party, looking as if she could conquer the world. And his Fiona was another thing to marvel at. She was responsible for the amazing girl his Kerrianne had grown up to be. She was here, in Charming, by his side, and in a few months, she would be giving him another child. Looking at her now, clearing dishes from the table while laughing with Gemma and Lila, he promised himself that her troubles and hardships were at an end, promised that he wouldn't allow pain to touch her ever again.

Raising the second shot and, gesturing to the room, gave a silent toast to the people who filled it before swallowing the fiery liquid. The men all coughed and smirked at each other, before setting their glasses down. The others men drifted off, but Opie stayed beside him.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on with you?" Opie asked.

"Don't know what you're talking about, brother," Filip replied, not quite making eye contact with him.

"You have been walking around all night with a ridiculous smile, and you are in a crazy good mood. Something is up," Opie explained.

"Can't I just be happy that my family is here and my little daughter is celebrating another birthday?" he wondered.

"Not this happy," he said. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

Filip gave him an appraising look, trying to decide what to tell him. He really wanted to tell Opie exactly why he was so damned happy, but he knew he couldn't. He and Fiona had agreed that Kerrianne needed to know first, and then other people could know. They had sworn Tara to secrecy, and as she was VERY bad at keeping secrets, it had taken a bit of wrangling and several bribes. They would pretty much be helping her with Abel and this new baby any time she needed it, for the rest of forever.

"Nah. Not yet," he said, with a smirk. "You can wait."

Opie opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Tristen and Kerrianne.

"Da! Can I spend the night with Tristen?" she asked, putting her very best pleading look. "Pleeeeeeeeeease?"

She looked so much like her mother in that moment that he knew he would have given her any little thing she wanted, and he felt lucky that she only wanted to go spend the night with a friend and not go buy a pony.

"Have Tristen's parents agreed to this plan, or are you just going on assumption?" he asked, feeling like a real father.

"They said it was fine, said we could celebrate into the wee hours of the morning, as long as we didn't leave the house," she replied.

"Then I am fine with it if your Ma is fine with it. We'll pick you up in the morning, we have something we need to do," he told her.

"What do we need to do tomorrow?" she asked.

"You'll find out…tomorrow," he told her.

"Does it have something to do with where you and Ma ran off to today?" she asked suspiciously.

"It might. Now go ask your Ma. It looks like she is in a good mood now. Best to capitalize on that before Gemma does something to annoy her," he said, cryptically, watching her walk off, and then, a moment later, jump for joy as her mother, apparently, said yes.

An hour or so later, after an argument regarding what Kerrianne would wear (she voted for the new halter top and shorts that Gemma had bought for her, which Filip immediately vetoed; it was eventually decided that she would borrow some pajamas from Tristen and her mother would bring her some clothes tomorrow when picking her up) Kerrianne left with the Oswalds. Fiona caught his eye across the room, and nodded towards the front door. He took this to mean that she was ready to go, as well. They quickly loaded Kerrianne's loot into the car, before saying goodbye and thanking everybody. Both Filip and Fiona were anxious to get home, to an empty house, and do some celebrating of their own.


	9. Chapter 9

**Here is the next chapter! I am not completely happy with it, mostly because I had to split it, but if I hadn't this chapter would have wound up being like 4,000 words long. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this regardless! I wanted to thank everybody for the reviews and messages! They are really encouraging and I adore them. Enjoy reading, and please take a minute to review if you can! **

Filip was trying his very best not to be nervous. It wasn't like he was on his way to face a jury or an executioner. He and his wife were on their way to pick up their fifteen year old daughter from a sleepover. There was absolutely nothing to be nervous about. Except the fact that after picking her up, they would be telling her about the fact that her mother was unexpectedly pregnant and because of that pregnancy, she would be permanently moving to Charming, which was roughly 8 million miles from the place she considered her home. So clearly, there was nothing at all to be nervous about.

In between lots of talking, laughing, and a couple of intense rounds of sex, they had discussed at length things like where they were going to tell her and exactly what they were going to say. Filip was of the mind that they should just bring her home to tell her when was going on, but Fiona had nixed that idea. She claimed there were too many things that could be used as weapons around the house, and instead assured him that a public place would be best. As a teenage girl public image was a very important thing, and Fiona was banking on her not making a scene in a public place.

Kerrianne was nearly ready to go when they arrived. It was clear that she and Tristen had had a grand evening, and if the empty cans of Red Bull and half eaten bags of candy were any indication, neither of them had gotten much sleep. While Kerrianne was changing into the clothing Fiona had brought, he was standing awkwardly in Elliot Oswald's living room. Fiona and Karen were deeply involved in some sort of conversation about their daughters and clothing and where to shop for it. He and Elliot were just standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. He silently prayed that Kerrianne would hurry.

Filip was surprised when Elliot spoke up, saying, "Kerrianne is a really great kid."

"That she is. I really can't take much credit for it, but I wholeheartedly agree," he replied, glad that they could at least agree on that fact.

"I really appreciate you letting her spend time with Tristen. It's been a long time since she had a friend, and it's good to see her just act like a kid again," Elliot explained.

Filip nodded, knowing exactly what Elliot meant. He was saved from having to make a reply by Kerrianne's reappearance. The family said their goodbyes, Kerrianne and Tristen hugging and making plans to see each other in the next couple of days. He was thrilled that his daughter had found a friend in the tiny town of Charming. At the very least, it would give him something positive to bring up when Kerrianne rebelled against staying here permanently.

Kerrianne, of course, demanded McDonald's for her belated birthday lunch, so they made their way to the closest one, just over the Charming boarder. Filip had yet to get over exactly how much food Kerrianne could pack away inside her tiny body, and Fiona looked like she might throw up just from hearing Kerri's order. Her nausea was, thankfully, nowhere near as bad as it could be, but nonetheless, it was always there, threatening to turn any occasion into a massive puke fest. She played it safe with a milk shake, though she was sure that she could manage to steal at least a few fries from Filip or Kerrianne.

Kerrianne immediately began shoving food in her mouth almost as soon as they sat down. Fiona shook her head at exactly how much like her father Kerrianne was, though when she looked at Filip, she noted that he hadn't touched his food, and was looking at her with slightly raised eyebrows.

"So Fiona," he said. "Do you think we should tell our lovely daughter the news, or should we let her finish devouring her lunch first?"

She chuckled at him, loving his ability to create humor in even the most uncomfortable of places.

"Why don't we just let her eat Filip," she replied. "After all, I would hate for such a nutritious, lovely meal to go to waste."

"Trust me guys," Kerrianne said after managing to swallow the thirty or so fries she had in her mouth. "Absolutely no part of this meal will go to waste. You could tell me that the world was ending, and I would probably just ask you to hand me some ketchup."

"Lovely!" Filip exclaimed. "Kerrianne, the world is ending. Well, at least yours is."

Kerrianne stared blankly at him, before sticking another fry in her mouth. Fiona elbowed him in the ribs.

"What your dear Da is trying to say, Love, is that we have some news," Fiona started. "Do you want the good news, or the bad news first?"

"Bad," Kerrianne replied without even thinking.

"While I don't agree with it being BAD news, I think what your mother is referring to is that you guys are going to be staying in Charming quite a bit longer than planned," Filip said, not quite managing to hide the smallest bit of irritation and hurt at Fiona referring to the move as bad news. She put a hand on his knee to let him know that she hadn't meant it.

Kerrianne was looking at them with absolutely no expression on her face. She picked up another fry and stuffed it in her mouth, a bit more forcefully than last time, before picking up another one and saying, "Good."

Fiona squeezed Filip's knee, before sighing heavily and just laying the truth on the table.

"We're having a baby. You're going to be a big sister," she said.

There was silence as the fry fell from Kerrianne's hand. She stared at her parents, mouth agape, for what seemed like an eternity, literally not able to process what her mother had just said. Yes, she understood how babies came to be, and her parents sure as hell had been doing enough of that, but a baby? That was unexpected, to say the least.

"Kerri, Love, just say something," her father pleaded.

"Hand me some ketchup," was all that she said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry about leaving the last chapter off so very suddenly! I hope that this chapter is good enough to make up for it! Please take a moment to review if you can! Enjoy this chapter!**

Filip was in a rather uncomfortable position. He was currently holding and comforting his sobbing wife in their bedroom, while their daughter was in her own room, obviously still reeling from the news she had just heard. Fiona was beside herself, wondering if Kerrianne would be okay, afraid that she hated them, debating whether they had made a mistake. He was at a loss as to what he should do. On one hand, his instinct said to immediately hate anybody who made his Fiona cry like this, but on the other hand, he understood how Kerrianne was feeling, and knew exactly what she was doing.

They had spent a half hour or so trying to break Kerrianne's silence in the restaurant. It didn't work. It seemed as if she just didn't want to speak at all. Filip had thought that she might still be processing it, and he wanted to allow her time to do that. He was the same way, at times, prone to making sure to think things through before opening his mouth, for fear of saying the wrong thing. At least, he sincerely hoped that was what she was doing. For all he knew, she could be plotting to kill them, but he really hoped that she wasn't.

Fiona was not nearly as content as Filip was to allow Kerrianne to enjoy her silence. For several minutes, Fiona had just pushed and tried to get Kerrianne to talk, to say anything, but all she got were shrugs and grunts. Eventually, the refusal to talk lead to anger on both parts, which manifested itself in both women glaring across the table at each other. Filip was, by this point, feeling very, very uncomfortable and really wanted nothing more than to be at home. He knew, judging from the stony, fed up expression on Fiona's face and the stubborn, immovable expression on Kerrianne's face that they had come to an impasse and would be getting nowhere

Their lunch had pretty much been a lost cause at that point. He somehow managed to convince both girls to leave, and he was amazed at their ability to create such a prolonged, awkward silence. He had driven them both home, with barely a word said on either end. No sooner had they pulled in before Fiona was out of the car, headed towards their bedroom before the tears started. He entered the house just in time to hear Kerrianne's door slam shut. It was at this point that Filip seriously began to hope that this impending child would be a boy. He had just about all of the women he could handle.

He tended to Fiona first. Her crying was something that he just couldn't abide by, so he ended up in their room, holding on to her tightly, while she let everything out. There were times when he could talk Fiona out of whatever she was going through, but he was smart enough to know that this was not one of those times. He knew that once she calmed down, she would be okay. This whole situation was stressful on her, and with the amount of time she spent worrying about him, worrying about Kerrianne, and worrying about the new baby, he was beginning to wonder when she would worry about herself, or if she ever did at all. He made a mental note to make sure that she took some down time, and soon.

He noticed that she had stopped crying, and for that he was glad. He leaned back a bit and took her face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the remaining tears on her cheeks. He kissed her softly, resting his forehead against hers. She was far and away the best, most beautiful woman he had ever met, and he loved her, more than anything. He would do whatever he could to fix this, whatever it took to make her smile.

"You okay, Fiona Rose?" he asked her, using her full name because he loved the way it sounded.

"Yes," she replied, quickly following it up. "No. I don't know. It's hard to be anything but happy when I'm here with you. I've got my husband back, I've got a little baby growing inside me. Everything should be wonderful, I should be happy. But it's hard to be happy if she is miserable. She's my baby."

"Yeah, I know. She is going to be fine though, Fi. She is just working it out; these things take more than a few minutes to process sometimes," he tried to reason with her.

"I know that. She can be so much like you sometimes. It's just," she paused as if looking for the right words to say. "Is it too much to ask for things to just work out exactly right for one time in our lives? Couldn't she have just been happy and helped us pick a nursery color? No, of course not. Now I will have to spend the next nine months arguing with her and trying to convince her that I really do want what's best for her, and chances are, by the time I am done she will still think I am ruining her life. It's like having to fight an uphill battle that you just know you are going to lose."

He chuckled, "It is going to work out exactly right, Fi. We will figure his out. You will be okay and Kerri will be okay and this wee one will be okay. Now come on. Let's go deposit you into a hot bath full of girly bubbles, and you let me deal with Kerrianne."

"You will deal with Kerrianne? Have you noticed that she has suddenly become mute?" Fiona asked, allowing herself to be pulled up from the bed.

"Maybe, but don't you worry about that right now. Seriously. Bathtub, now. Use the bubbles that smells really good. I like it when you smell really good," he demanded with the most innocent look on his face. "And no getting out of the tub for at least an hour."

She finally cracked a small smile. No matter how insane things were, no matter how pregnant she got, no matter how mad and silent Kerrianne was, she could at least smile, knowing that she had the sweetest, most wonderful man in the world. He always, always looked out for her and took care of her, and loved her beyond reason. After kissing him soundly, she made a mental note to herself to make sure to shave during this mandatory bath time. Come hell or high water, her husband was getting lucky tonight.

After drawing her bath and seeing her settled in the tub, Filip shut the door and made his way down the hall to Kerrianne's room. He and his daughter had a lot to talk about. He loved his little girl and knew that she had every right to feel however it was she was feeling, but he needed to help her see that there were good way and terrible ways to express those feelings. Most of all, he wanted her to know that she would be fine and that he would do whatever was required to make sure she would be happy and safe here in Charming. Finding himself facing her closed door, he knocked softly.

"Go away," came the slightly muffled response from the other side of the door.

"Not a chance, Kid," he said kindly but firmly. "Open up."

There was nothing, no response at all, for a solid minute. Finally, the knob turned and the door opened to reveal Kerrianne walking back across the room to her bed. He followed her inside, shutting the door behind him. He looked around the purple room slowly, before taking a seat in the desk chair. This room had slowly but surely become hers over the past few weeks. There were posters advertising obnoxious bands covering the walls. There was makeup and perfume littering the top of the dresser. Some of her favorite books were stacked in the bedside table, next to the small, framed picture of the two of them on the day she had been born. There was a shot of the three of them, taken on his last trip to Belfast, hanging on the wall right next to him. It was as if this room had always been hers.

Kerrianne was looking at him, as if she was unsure of what he would say or do. He could tell by her flushed cheeks and wet eyes that she had been crying, and that tore at his heart just as much as Fiona' tears did. Neither of his girls should be crying, ever. Without thinking, he reached over to where she was sitting and took her hands in his own. He kissed them and held them tightly, noticing her tears starting again. He wasted no time in joining her on her small bed and holding hugging her, her tears falling in the exact same, already damp spot where her mother's had fallen just minutes ago.

"Kerrianne, don't cry. Please talk to me. Just tell me what's going on in that head of yours," he softly pleaded with her.

"I don't know, Da," she said, her voice sounding strained. "I couldn't even begin to explain what I am thinking or how I am feeling."

"Your Ma seems to think you are mad about the baby, thinks that you have some grand hatred for the wee little thing" he told her, hoping to at least get her talking about it.

"I'm not mad. Not really anyway. It's a huge surprise, and I didn't even think you guys wanted another baby, but I don't hate it," she assured him. "I didn't ever even think of the possibility that you two might have another baby."

"Trust me kid, neither did I. So if it isn't the baby, is it the move here?" he asked.

"Maybe. A little bit, anyway. I didn't expect you guys to make me move," she told him honestly.

"I know, Honey, and I am sorry. Maybe I am a selfish, awful Da for saying this, but I can't have you and your Ma going back there now, I can't have you guys away from me. I love you guys, and this new brother or sister of yours, way too much to have you away from me again, and considering this history and bad blood in Belfast, it's just safer here," he explained.

"So if it weren't for this baby, you would be fine with us leaving?" she asked in a mildly accusing voice.

"Not even a little bit. I won't pretend I haven't been hoping and praying that you guys would stay here; that I haven't been searching high and low for a good reason to make you. I just didn't expect to find in in exactly this way," he said.

"Yeah," she agreed.

"Charming isn't all that bad though, is it? You could be happy here. The school is really good here, and you will do really well. You have Tristen now, and in a few more months, Juice and the rest of the guys will be out. Everybody here adores you. I am here, and I love you, so so much. Is it really going to be so bad living here?" he asked, hoping and praying that she would agree with him.

"No, of course it won't be all bad. I just wasn't ready for it, all of a sudden," she admitted.

"I know Kerrianne, and I wish it could have happened a different way. The truth is, I don't know how to make this better. I need you to at least give me some idea of how I can make this okay. I can't handle your Ma crying because she thinks you hate her, and you crying because you are miserable. It kills me, Baby," he told her, very nearly on the verge of tears himself.

"I don't know, Da. It's just all changing, so fast. I mean, my life is completely different than it was a year ago. Back then, I was living in Belfast in a locked down house with my Ma and a man who was terrifying in every way. Each and every move I made was controlled, and not by me. And now, here I am, a year later with my Ma and my Da, in my purple bedroom in California, and now I will go to a new school, with new kids, surrounded by new people, and there will be a baby brother or sister on top of all of that. I would take you and Ma any day over all of everything in Ireland, but I wish I had something familiar to cling to. It's just so much change, all at once," she explained, desperate for someone to understand what she was going through. And he did.

"Oh, my girl. You may not believe or understand this, but I have been there. There was a time when I thought I had lost everything and I found myself here in Charming with literally nothing familiar to ground me. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I made it through. You are not me, and your situation is not what mine was. You have the fortune to have your Ma and your Da who love you more than fish love water. I am here, Baby, and so is your Ma. If there is anything we can do to help you, anything at all, we will, and I think you know that. But you have got to give us something here. You can't close yourself off and not talk to us. That's not how families work, Kerri," he said to her.

She looked at him, studying him with her eyes. Slowly, she nodded, "Yeah, okay Da. I can try."

"Thank you, Sweetheart. I mean it; we are both here for you always. Do you think you might be able to do me another favor?" he asked, managing a small smile.

"What?" she asked wearily.

"Can you try to be nice to your Ma? She is having a rough time today. She thinks you hate her, and she is completely pregnant and hormonal. She could use a break," he told her, hoping that she would understand.

She smiled. "I suppose I can do that. I will go talk to her. I have about a million questions about this whole baby thing. You're pretty excited about this, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I really am. Want to see a picture?" he asked, reaching for his wallet when he saw her nod. He pulled out the little sonogram that he had been carrying with him at all times for the past two days. Handing it too her, he pointed out the little baby in the middle of the picture.

"That? That is my little brother or sister?" she asked, completely disbelieving. "That looks like a Sour Patch Kid!"

He laughed. "I thought so, too, but don't tell your Ma that. It will grow and look a lot less like a sea monkey and a lot more like a cute little baby," he assured her.

"I sure as hell hope so," she told him, still staring at the picture, before looking up at him and smiling. "Congratulations, Da."

"Thank you, Baby," he said, genuinely touched.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, before standing up and grabbing a piece of tape off of her desk. She secured the sonogram picture right alongside the picture of the three of them hanging on her wall, before smiling at him and going to find her Ma. Filip leaned back on the bed, utterly exhausted. He knew, however, that even when both of his girls were in crisis mode and he was more stressed out than ever, he knew full well that he would rather be exhausted and stressed out with them than on his own any day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi everybody! Here is Chapter 11! I want to thank you guys so much for taking the time to read, and a special think you to all of you who have reviewed. I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter, and please take a moment to review and let me know what you think! Cheers!**

A week or two later, things seemed to settle down a bit, and for that, Filip was glad. Kerrianne and Fiona were talking again, which was definitely a good thing. Mind you, they still had about a thousand things up in the air. They were in the midst of planning a trip back to Ireland to tie up loose ends and get the rest of the girls' things. He hoped that would give Kerrianne a chance to get a little bit of closure. He was also beginning to realize that they would have to move, as his current little house was big enough for a family of three, but not for a family of four. They would have to do something about that, sooner rather than later. There were also things like doctor's appointments, getting Kerrianne enrolled at school, and work for him.

All of those things were on the back burner right now, as the whole family was sitting in the waiting room of Labor and Delivery at St. Thomas, waiting with the rest of the SAMCRO family for the newest Teller to make his entrance into the world. Opie and Piney and Kozik and Chuckie were there, along with a couple of newer prospects. Unser was here, snoring soundly from his seat in the plastic hospital chairs. Gemma was in with Tara, and they were all patiently waiting for an update. Neeta and Lila had all of the kids, so there was really nothing at all to do except wait.

Kerrianne had her laptop with her, and was taking full advantage of the free Wi-Fi offered at the hospital. Apparently, Juice had somehow gained (illegal) access to email while in Stockton, and she was keeping him, and by extension the other guys, up to date on what was happening. She had resorted to headphones and iPod, due mostly to the fact that nothing at all was happening, as far as they knew. He was glad that she was here, and proud that she was managing to not be whiney and bored.

Fiona had some sort of electronic book that she was reading. He smirked just a little bit, knowing without even asking that she was making her way through a book on pregnancy for an older woman, while their family and friends sat all around them, none the wiser. He would occasionally lean over her shoulder, cheek against hers, and read for as long as he could. She would tolerate it reasonably well for a moment, before shooing him away with a swat and a kiss.

He felt very lucky that the ladies were feeling so calm and occupied. The men were less so. He and Opie were entertaining themselves by taking turns balling up little pieces of paper and attempting to land them in the sleeping Uncer's mouth. Piney was drinking himself into oblivion with Patron not so cleverly disguised in a water bottle. Kozik was shamelessly trying to convince a nurse into a supply closet with him, and Filip was pleased to see that it was not working at all. He often thought that boys together, especially Sons, in any kind of group with nothing to occupy them could only lead to trouble. They were all trying to be on their best behavior, mostly for the sake of Fiona and Kerrianne, but he was really not sure how much longer that would hold up.

He had finally managed to score a basket in Uncer's mouth, causing Piney to laugh and Uncer to wake up coughing, when Gemma finally came in to the waiting room to give them an update. She trudged over to the chairs they were occupying and threw herself into one.

"Still no baby," she reported, sounding both annoyed and exhausted. "The kid sure is taking has damned time."

"How's Tara?" Filip asked, genuinely concerned for the doctor. From past experiences and much more recent research, he knew that labor was no easy feat, and hoped that she was holding up okay.

"She's a champ," Gemma replied, with what sounded like genuine pride in her voice. "The doctor wanted her to try sitting in a goddamned bath, said that maybe a water birth was the way to go. Apparently sitting in hot water can 'ease the pain and make the baby transition more easily from the womb'. It sounded like bullshit to me, but Tara is willing to give it a try."

They all kind of stared at her, some mildly amused, some horrified. Kerrianne was amongst the horrified crew.

"Are you seriously saying that the doctor advised her to give birth in a bathtub?" Kerrianne questioned, clearly trying to picture it.

"That's pretty much exactly what I am saying. We didn't do that shit when my kids were born. They just gave us some drugs and we suffered for hours on end. There was none of this sitting in a bathtub and easing transitions shit," Gemma told her. Fiona raised an eyebrow, nodding.

"That's…disgusting!" Kerrianne declared. "So she is just going to have the baby and it will, what, float to the surface? And then she will sit there, stewing in hot water, and blood, and baby juices for God knows how long?"

Gemma nodded. Filip laughed, mostly to keep from vomiting. Fiona grasped his hand tightly, looking like she was having a hard time holding on to her lunch as well. He leaned back, putting an arm around her and allowing her to rest against his shoulder. She smiled gratefully at him. All of the rest of the guys looked as if they agreed with Kerrianne's general assessment of the situation, and they were all pondering her very disturbing description.

Before long, Kerrianne spoke up, saying the exact wrong thing, "I swear to God, Ma, you had better not get any ideas about giving birth in a bathtub. That is all kinds of unnatural. You can stick with the drugs and bed this time."

Kerrianne went back to her headphones and laptop, completely unaware of the situation she had caused. He and Fiona were frozen, and everybody else's minds were no longer envisioning Tara stewing in baby juice, but were focused, along with their eyes, on the two of them. They hadn't exactly told any other members of SAMCRO about the baby yet, figuring that they would get around to it later, after things settled. It seemed, though, that they had made a critical mistake in not alerting Kerrianne to the fact that she was supposed to be sworn to secrecy.

There was absolute silence as everybody's stared at them, waiting for clarification as to what they had just heard. Eyes were wide, mouths were hanging open, asses had moved to the edge of seats, but Filip didn't see any of that. His eyes immediately found Fiona's; his arm immediately gripped her more tightly, letting her know that it was okay.

"Well, I suppose that particular cat, or baby, rather, is out of the bag," he said, allowing his dry sense of humor free rein over the situation.

"I suppose you are right. Your daughter had clearly inherited your big mouth, Dear," she said with a half-smile.

"I still say that she gets that from you. She gets her wit, charm, and intelligence from me. This one will, too," he playfully argued.

"God help us all," was the only thing Fiona had to say.

The others were still staring at them, but Gemma was starting to smile. Piney was flat out laughing. Opie had him in a half headlock, half hug within seconds. Chuckie was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. It wasn't long before they were getting all sorts of love. If there was one thing that SAMCRO loved, it was a baby. Well, that and money, but he babies were right up there.

"How are you two having a baby, Chibs? Aren't you guys, like, too old for that?" came Kozik's question.

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" he replied, breaking out of Opie's embrace. "But as it turns out, no, we aren't in fact too old."

He and Fiona each took turns receiving congratulations and being swept up into hugs by every person there. Kerrianne was even pulled out of her technology cocoon to be greeted with congratulations. Fiona was eating it up, seemingly thrilled that everybody was genuinely happy for them. She was attempting to escape from Opie's embrace, but being very small was not helping her at all with her task.

Gemma approached him and, with a smile, kissed his cheek, before looking him in the eyes.

"You happy, Darlin'?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Aye, Gemma. I'm happy. Really, really happy," he told her.

"That's good, Honey. You deserve it. I'm so happy for you. You have your family back," she said, sounding amazed, but even she couldn't manage to completely hide the trace of longing for her own incarcerated family.

"I know, and you will have yours back soon, too. Any minute now, Tara will have the baby, and then in just a few more months, the boys will be home, and then Opie will get married, and then my little baby will be along. It's all coming together, Gemma. It's about time for some happiness, isn't it?" he asked.

"You've got that right. Do you have any idea how much shit the guys are going to give you when they find out?" she asked.

He threw his head back laughing. "I don't care. Let them give me whatever shit they want. I have a beautiful daughter and a gorgeous wife who is having my baby, and they are staying in Charming with me. That, dear Gemma, is worth any amount of shit they can give."

"That's the spirit! Just please, let me be there when you tell them? The looks on their faces will be priceless. You have to let me be there!" she told him, now laughing.

"Me too," spoke up pretty much every other person in the room. They were all laughing now, and Filip was beginning to figure out how they were going to plan a mass trip to Stockton, when a nurse appeared from around the corner.

"Is there a Gemma in here?" she asked. "Dr. Knowles needs you. I think she's about ready to have this baby."

A little over an hour later, Thomas Jackson Teller was born. His father was in prison, and mother was exhausted, but he was tiny and beautiful and perfect and surrounded by love. The hospital room was soon crowded with the oddest assortment of family members, from the ancient Piney to the scarred Scotsman and his black wife. The newborn boy was passed around from person to person, and as Filip watched his wife sitting next to Tara, holding the baby in her arms, he suddenly found himself counting down the days until he was back here, until his own child was born. The love and joy in the room was palpable. Looking around at each person in the room, he reminded himself again of how incredibly lucky he was to be a part of this family.


	12. Chapter 12

**This one is a bit shorter than usual! I hope that you enjoy it anyway! Thanks for taking the time to read, and please review if you have a moment! Thanks again!**

Filip, Fiona, Kerrianne, and most of the SAMCRO crew were piling out of cars at the Stockton prison. It had been three weeks since baby Thomas was born, and Tara had declared him old enough, strong enough, and healthy enough to go and meet his father. Filip had also decided that it would be as good of a time as any to share their baby news. Fiona had been to the baby doctor that Tara recommended, and she was about twelve weeks along now. The doctor had declared her bloodwork to be very good. It seemed that the wee baby growing inside her was as healthy as could be, so they thought that there was really no time like the present to let the rest of the guys in on the not-so-secret.

The family would be leaving tomorrow and returning to Belfast to finish moving the girls' remaining belongings and tie up any loose ends. Filip was excited to go, and excited to get back, as it meant that his girls would really be with him, permanently. Elliot Oswald had proved himself a very useful friend once again and had agreed to allow them passage and use of the cargo jet again, in order to get the girls moved. Filip was sure he was mostly being so kind and accommodating because he was thrilled that Tristen's "BFF" was not going anywhere. Either way, Filip was very thankful for the help. Elliot had also used his influence to get Kerrianne enrolled at the Catholic high school Tristen attended, and she would be starting almost as soon as they returned from Belfast.

All in all, things were falling in to place quite nicely for the little family. There was still much to be done before the baby arrived, but at the same time, much had already been accomplished. He had a checklist in his head of things that needed to happen within the next six months or so to be fully prepared for the baby to come, but he had checked off some big ones, and now, here they were at the prison, so that he could check off another to-do. Telling the guys was huge, probably more so for him than for Fiona and Kerrianne, and he was excited to add another checkmark to the list.

Uncer had helped them make some special arrangements with the prison warden, and they soon found themselves seated along a row of plastic tables. Each of them was, officially, visiting one inmate each, but unofficially, that was a different story. Tara was sitting across from Jax, gazing adoringly at their little son in his father's arms. Gemma was across from Clay, their hands clasped together. Kozik had come to visit Tig, and as much as Filip would never understand that relationship, the two men seemed to enjoy the visit well enough. His Kerrianne and Fiona were at a table with Juice, while he was right next to them with Bobby. Finally, at the other end, Opie sat with Happy, not really talking at all, more just staring at each other.

Most of the guys had their eyes trained at the end table, eager to catch a glimpse of the newest Teller. Even Filip had to admit that seeing Jax meet his newborn son and been captivating for him. While everyone else was staring at Jax holding baby Thomas, he couldn't help but notice that Fiona was staring at him. He knew without having to ask that she was both remembering him holding the impossibly tiny Kerrianne and envisioning him holding their new baby. He reached across the few feet separating them and took her hand, letting her know that his mind was there, as well. He really couldn't wait.

"So what's up with them being all full of love and doe eyed at each other?" he heard Juice ask Kerrianne, while shooting him a smart assed grin.

"They have been doing it for weeks now, ever since they found out they are having another baby. It's kind of annoying, isn't it?" she casually replied.

"Wait, what?" Juice came back, his mouth a little bit agape. "How did that happen?"

"Well, Juicy, you see, when a man and a woman really, really love each other…" Filip began, smiling upon hearing Kerrianne's snort of laughter.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that part, but…really? Are you guys serious? You are really having a baby? One of those?" he asked, pointing to Thomas with a look of genuine disbelief on his face.

He said it loud enough that he had managed to capture the attention of pretty much everybody. It got very quiet, as they all look at him for confirmation. One side of the table, the side that would be legally walking out of here in a few minutes, was sitting quietly trying to hide smirks. The other side of the table that would be staying in this hellhole for about six more months was just staring at him in shock. He responded in the only way he knew how, with a nod and a smile.

The cheers and noise that erupted at the moment were astounding. The guards were eyeing them wearily, and he knew if they wanted to avoid taser trouble, they should probably settle down. The guys demanded the chance to shake his hand and tease him individually, so after a solid "mazel tov" from Bobby, he took turns trading tables with everybody else. Jax informed Filip that, while he was happy for the couple, there was no way the new baby would be "as awesome as Thomas". Filip could understand that sentiment, even if it was completely and totally wrong. Nobody in the world made babies quiet as cute as he and Fiona did. Clay said that if it wasn't too later for Filip to have a baby, than maybe it wasn't too late for him either. Gemma told him to go straight to hell. Tig asked if he thought the baby would be another "fine ass daughter". Filip replied be describing the many, many creative ways in which he would kill Tig if he ever even thought anything like that again. Juice and Kerrianne were deep in a private conversation about something that looked very serious, so he didn't interrupt. Happy, of all people, asked if he could baby sit, which both shocked and frightened Filip.

Overall, his SAMCRO brothers seemed genuinely happy and supportive, which thrilled him. He looked over at Kerrianne and Juice and silently prayed that the boy was reassuring his little daughter about becoming an older sister, rather than giving her tips on how to terrorize him. Juice would have quite a few good pointers on that particular subject. Filip was aware that Juice had several siblings back in New York, and he had been very close to them. The boy rarely, if ever, discussed them but Filip hoped that he would talk to Kerrianne about the upside to being an older sibling.

Before too much longer, it was time for them to wrap up their little visit. With the Belfast trip and the move and school starting very soon, it would be awhile before he was able to come back. It surprised him a lot to think that he would miss coming to see the boys; he would miss them for the next few weeks, until he could get back here.

Hugs were dealt out all around before he and the girls followed Opie and Kozik out, giving Tara and Gemma a bit of time and privacy to say goodbye. As Fiona walked next to him, she slid her hand into his. She had tiny hands, but she held his tightly as he smiled down at her.

"You doing okay, Love?" he asked her, knowing that spending her afternoon in a prison had not been at the top of her to do list. Apparently, prisons had disgusting bathrooms that were not at all conducive to a constantly nauseous pregnant woman.

"Doing just fine," she replied, squeezing his hand. "But just so we are clear, that scary, tattooed man will never babysit our child. I don't care if his name is Happy. It's never going to happen."

He really had no choice but to laugh hysterically at that, before kissing her temple. He was more than ready to get out of here and take his family home. They had a plane to catch.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi guys! While this chapter does not contribute significantly to the plot, it does contribute significantly to...sex. Sorry. Anyway, if you are of age to enjoy this, please do, and if not, sorry, but skip this chapter. Thank you for reading and review if you get a chance!**

It was midday in Belfast, but that didn't stop Filip from laying sprawled across the bed, clad in only sweats, trying desperately to catch any amount of sleep. They had arrived two days ago to finalize the move, and the jet lag was still wreaking havoc on his system. He hadn't been able to get a solid night's sleep since they had arrived, and it was beginning to annoy him. Things had been incredibly hectic for days. He was glad it didn't seem to be bothering his girls. Fiona was pretty much tired all of the time anyway, and she slept like a rock for at least eight hours each night. Kerrianne was young enough to not let a lack of sleep stop her from doing everything, so she was fine with time changes.

It was only him that seemed to be having a problem. We was well aware that at least a portion of his issues stemmed from being back in Belfast. Even with Jimmy long dead, he was always, always vigilant when he was here. It would be just perfectly poetic for him to let his guard down for a moment and be taken out. There was also a lingering nervousness regarding Fiona and Kerrianne that kept popping up. He was still worried that Fi would change her mind about moving and would chose to stay here instead. She had done nothing to indicate that she had any plans even remotely close to that, but still, he figured he would stop worrying when they were actually back in Charming.

So it was a fine combination of the jet lag, the exhaustive hard work they had been doing, and just general laziness that had him lounging in bed when it was almost noon. Kerrianne had gone to spend the day with some of her friends, and Fiona was supposed to be getting dressed, but judging from the loud noises and curse words he was hearing coming from the other room, that task was not going well. He was readying himself to get up and go see what on earth the problem was, when she stomped into the room, looking like she was trying to decide between crying and hitting somebody. Seeing as he was the only somebody even remotely close by, he sat up instantly.

"What's wrong, Fi? You okay?" he asked with a sense of urgency.

"No, I'm not okay. Not at all," she replied, her voice tingeing on the verge of dramatic.

"What's happened? Has your clothing decided to attack you?" he asked, noticing both her still pajama clad appearance and the small pile of clothing that had been thrown from the closet area.

"No, Filip, my clothing has not decided to attack me," she responded, her eyes narrow with anger. "It has decided not to fit me anymore."

"Ah," he said, knowing that he was walking on very slippery, very thin ice here. For her entire pregnancy, Tara had taken turns bursting into tears or becoming startlingly aggressive anytime somebody mentioned her weight. He had had the pleasure of smoothing things over once at the local grocery store when she threw a can of creamed corn at a total stranger who asked her if she was having twins. Some people didn't know any better.

"It's not fair!" came Fiona's voice. "With Kerrianne, I wore my regular clothes until I was at least five months along! I am just over three months with this one, and I couldn't get my jeans to button for a million dollars. I am getting fat, Filip!"

There were very nearly tears in her voice and she actually stomped her foot.

"Hey, hey, hey, none of that now," he said, quickly sitting up and taking her hands. "You are not getting fat, you are getting…more pregnant. I think that this is supposed to happen."

If he was honest, he really hadn't noticed her getting bigger. She remained pretty much tiny throughout her pregnancy with Kerrianne and again with Andrew, gaining less than twenty pounds each time. He had sort of expected it to be the same way with this one, so he really hadn't taken much notice at all in any changes in appearance.

"I just…" she started, before trailing off.

"You just what?" he asked, eager to know what was bothering her so much. While Fiona did pride herself on her appearance, it was very much unlike her to get this upset over something so small.

"It's just that I am going to keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger, and I am going to look so gross. You aren't going to want to be with a huge, gross wife," she said, not quite meeting his eye.

"Fiona, are you out of your damned mind? You think I am going to leave you because you are pregnant with my baby?" he asked, more than a little upset. She should know him better than that. How could she think he would leave her, after all the shit that they had been through?

"No, of course I know you aren't going to leave me. That's not what I meant. I mean…you aren't going to want to BE with me," she explained, with added emphasis on the word be.

"OH," he said, finally realizing what she meant. He was more than a bit relieved to find out that she was only talking about sex. "Oh. Fiona, that's ridiculous. Has there ever been a time, since we were fourteen years old, that I didn't want to BE with you?"

"I don't know, Filip, it's just that it's been almost a week," Fiona explained.

Good Lord, had it really? He thought carefully for a moment, before realizing that she was right.

"I'm sorry, Fi," he said, pulling her closer to him, so that she was standing between his knees. He looked up at her, "I didn't realize. I have just been exhausted and worried about stuff here and stuff back home and getting Kerrianne settled in school and the guys and the Club and all this other shit. I didn't mean to neglect you, Love."

She ran her fingers through his hair. "I know, and I am just being stupid. This whole baby businessg has me…needing you pretty much constantly, and then after a week of nothing, and now my clothes don't fit…I guess I just got a bit crazy is all," she explained, sheepishly. "You have always told me how pretty I was, always wanted me, and I just didn't want that to stop."

He sighed and moved his hands to rest less on her back and more on her ass. His nap could wait awhile, jet lag be damned. His girl thought that he didn't want her, and there was no way he would let that stand. Sliding his hands up her body, underneath her shirt, he got it over her head without any protest at all. Firmly but gently guiding her, he managed to coax her lips to his. Kissing her hard, he allowed his lips and tongue to tell her exactly how much he wanted her. His hands moved to her breasts, taking extra care to focus gently on her hard nipples. She moaned into his mouth, her finger nails digging into his shoulders, urging him to continue.

He didn't. Instead, moving his hands to her hips, he didn't hesitate to slide her pajama pants over her full, round ass before pulling her into bed next to him, their lips never once separating. Once she was settled next to him, he wasted no time, his hands and lips exploring her body. Her neck was incredibly sensitive, and his lips and tongue made sure to exploit that sensitivity to the fullest extent before moving on to her breasts.

He took extreme pleasure in listening to the noise he could pull from her, simply by applying the exact right amount of friction and suction to her pert, hard nipples. His Fiona had never been a quiet, shy woman in bed, and nothing turned him on more than hearing the pleasure he was bringing to her with so little effort. Based solely on the sounds that were filling his ears, he knew that this would not last long. Sliding one hand between her legs, he confirmed that she was more than ready, which was fine with him, because he really didn't want to wait. It had just been pointed out to him that it had been a week since he had been with his wife, so teasing was not in the cards today.

He paused for a moment in his not so subtle seduction to struggle with his own sweatpants. After a short but epic battle, he managed to get them off and then calm Fiona's hysterical laughter by pinning her to the bed and capturing her lips again. He ended the kiss quickly. He did not want anything to muffle the moan that he knew she would make when he was finally inside of her. She didn't disappoint.

She was incredibly wet and tight as he thrust in to her, not too hard and not too fast. At least not yet. He took a minute to just enjoy the feel of her beneath him, the feel of her legs around him, the feel of her hands firmly grasping his hips. He listened to the heavy desperate air running in and out of her lungs, and saw the gorgeous flush of her cheeks. He took an excessive amount of pride in knowing that he was responsible for both.

"You're fucking gorgeous, Fi," he reminded her as he stepped up his pace, eager to give her what he knew she so desperately wanted.

"More Filip, please. Harder," was her only reply, and he was more than happy to oblige.

He gave her more than enough He took his time, allowing her to feel every inch of him. Soon, she was writhing beneath him, tensing up as her orgasm overtook her, but even then, he didn't stop. At that point, he was beyond thankful for his stamina, which enabled him to hold on long enough to make her come again, before finally finishing deep inside of her.

Later, as they lay together on the bed, both naked as the day they were born and struggling to catch their breath and get their heart rates under control, he thought again about how insane she had to be to ever think, even for a minute, that he didn't want her. He turned his head to look at her, his beautiful wife. She was laying right next to him, flat on her back. Her eyes were closed and the smile on her face told him that she was completely satisfied. Leaning up on one elbow, he allowed his eyes to trail down her body, stopping at her stomach. He was surprised to note that it was no longer completely flat.

Her stomach had clearly thickened and was just the slightest bit round. He looked and smiled, marveling at the fact that he could visibly see his child growing in her womb. Hoping that the past hour had eased her concerns over her appearance and his next action would not cause another minor break down, he rested his hand lovingly against her warm stomach. Her skin was indescribably soft, and the contrast of his white skin against her darker, brown skin had always captivated him.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, the smile never leaving her face. "What are you staring at, Love?"

"You, of course," he replied. "Please don't hit me for saying this, but you were right. Look at you; there is a baby in there. Even if it is about the size of a golf ball, it's there."

She reached down and rested her hand on top of his. "I know it," she said. "We made that baby, you and I did. I am pretty fond of it, even if it does make me fat."

"You're beautiful, and sexy, and amazing. I love you, you know," he told her, smiling to see her nod, before adding, "Both of you."

He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her stomach, before climbing out of bed. "Where are you going?" she asked, refusing to let go of his hand until he told her.

"To get dressed, of course. We need to go buy you some new clothes, because I have this strange feeling that the wee one in there is only going to get bigger," he told her, squeezing her hand. "Come on. You should probably come with me. If you hurry, I'll even let you join me in the shower."


	14. Chapter 14

**Here is Chapter 14! Thanks so much for taking the time to read! Just wanted to let you guys know that updated might be a little bit slower over the next couple of weeks. With it being the holiday time, I am trying to spend as much time with family as I can. The chapters will keep coming, just with a few more days in between. The next chapter should be up in a few days! **

**I hope that everybody (who celebrates it) enjoys a very, very Merry Christmas. **

**Please take a few minutes to review if you can, I would really appreciate it! Thanks!**

It was just after 5:30 in the morning, on a Monday, and Filip was sitting, wide awake, at his kitchen table. There was a cup of coffee on the table in front of him. It had once been piping hot, but that had long since faded, not that he minded much, as he was not exactly drinking it. He had been awake for a while. He had tried to stay in bed for as long as possible, but eventually, Fiona had told him to either stop moving around or get out of bed. He knew that staying still was pretty much out of the question, so he had kissed her and climbed out of bed.

Glancing at the clock and noticing it creeping closer to 6:00 AM, he figured he should get up and make something for breakfast. He pulled the ingredients for his super-secret oatmeal out of the pantry and busied himself at the stove. In just a few minutes, Kerrianne's alarm clock would be going off, and he wanted to make sure that she had something to eat. She would be starting school today, and that would probably be nerve wracking enough. He figured that making sure she had something to eat was probably the least he could do.

He knew that Kerrianne had not been very excited about this day. Hell, he wasn't very excited about this day either. Kerrianne's concerns had more to do with having to wear a "lame school uniform in unflattering colors", whereas his concerns stemmed from elsewhere. Charming had been his home for many years, and while he could honestly say that the vast majority of its citizens were good people, there were some who were just not. Thus far, Kerrianne and Fiona both had pretty much remained in the protective SAMCRO bubble. Today, however, he was sending Kerrianne outside of that bubble and he just couldn't help it; he was nervous about it.

Elliot had managed to get Kerrianne into Nativity Catholic School, where Tristen went. Due to her phenomenal grades and just all around awesomeness, Kerrianne had earned herself a scholarship to the ridiculously expensive school, which was a real relief to him. Based solely on her own merit, and her friendship with an influential family, his daughter would be attending the very best school in Charming, California.

No, it wasn't the quality of the school, nor the color of the uniforms that had him concerned. He had been in this town long enough, and had had enough interactions with the upper crusts of Charming, to know that it was full of rich little assholes. They were not exactly the most warm and welcoming group of people. He was going to have to work really, really hard to restrain himself, because he knew that the first time one of those little fuckers said or did something to his daughter, he would have to fight the urge to kill them.

It was this worry for her safety and happiness that had him up way, way before the sun. Really, it was an ungodly hour, and he really had no idea why school had to start so early. He wondered how he had done it all those years ago. However, he had made it through just fine, and in the end, Kerrianne would, too. His job right now was to feed her and do anything else he could do to make it easier.

As if on cue, Kerrianne walked into the kitchen, dressed smartly in her school uniform, and looking completely unsure of herself.

"Good morning, Baby," he said, managing a smile for her sake. "You look nice."

"Morning, Da," she replied. "No, I don't. Green isn't my color, and plaid is ugly. But thanks anyway."

"Hey now, you can't tell a Scottish man that plaid is ugly. He might get offended and not give you any oatmeal!" he joked.

"Sorry, Da. You got up early to make me breakfast?" she asked, looking happy despite the early hour and the impending school day.

He set down a bowl in front of her, before pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee and offering one to her, which she declined, opting for juice instead. He joined her at the table, urging her to eat with his eyes.

"Well, I couldn't let you go to school with an empty stomach. Your Ma told me how you liked to skip breakfast," he told her with a stern, father like look. "So yes, I woke up to feed you. That and I thought you might need a ride to school."

She stopped shifting her oatmeal around in the bowl for a moment, and looked at him uncertainly, biting her lips.

"Do you think it will make my first day better, or worse if my Da drops me off?" she asked, sounding like she really didn't know. Coming from most teenage girls, that would have sounded like an unbelievably smart assed question, but he knew she was being completely sincerely.

"Well, here is the thing, Kerri," he said, trying to be as gentle as he could, "Most people in this town are wonderful. Just normal, nice people who mind their business and wouldn't give anybody any trouble. But there are some who are…not. Some people just like to cause trouble."

"People like you?" she asked, with a small smirk.

"Exactly!" he replied, "But seriously, Kerrianne. We have some people in this town who won't like you because of how you look, or where you're from, or any of a variety of reasons. The name SAMCRO means something to most people in this town. For a very, very select few, it will be another reason to not like you, but to everybody else, it will mean that you are one of ours and you are protected. Those people will look after you, simply because you belong to me. That, my sweet little daughter, is why I will give you a ride to school this morning."

She didn't respond right away. Instead, he was amazed to see her actually eat a spoonful of the oatmeal, and then another. They were silent for a while, her eating and him drinking his coffee and tracing the wood grain pattern of the table with his finger.

"Da?" he looked up at the sound of her voice. "What if they just don't like me? Not because I am black or Irish or the child of a motorcycle enthusiast. What if they just…don't like me?"

He sighed. Leave it to his girl to not even be minorly concerned about dangerous people who wouldn't like her for her skin color or her affiliations, but instead be concerned with normal teenage stuff.

"They are going to like you, Kerrianne; I know they are. They won't be able to help themselves. You are so smart, and gorgeous, and hilarious, and friendly, and you have a heart of gold; you really are just like your Ma," he told her, taking her hand. "You are going to make wonderful friends, just like you already have with Tristen, and everything will be okay. And anybody who doesn't like you? They can go straight to hell. You don't need them anyway. You remember how I showed you to punch?"

"Short and quick, thumb outside of the fist, and connect with your knuckles?" she asked, her eyebrows slightly raised.

"Correct. Make friends with whoever you can, ignore those you can't, and hit anybody who fucks with you. You've got a thick skin my girl; you will be fine," he assured her, squeezing her hand.

She gave him a real smile this time. Getting up, she kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Da. For breakfast and for…everything. I'm going to go put makeup on and get my backpack. I'll be ready to go soon."

Kerrianne walked back toward her bedroom, but he stayed sitting for just a minute longer. He couldn't believe the amount of stress and worry that came with something as simple as a first day of school. He had never had this before. Kerrianne had had many first days of school, but this was his first with her. He supposed that he should get used to the constant worry again. Kerrianne had a few more years of school left, and by the time that was done, there would be this new one to worry over.

He was still thinking on that for a moment when he felt warm arms wrap around his shoulders from behind. He smiled, leaning his head back against Fiona and covering her hands with his own.

"You're such a good Da, you know it?" she asked him, fondly.

"You think so?" he asked, smiling up at her.

"I know so," she responded, squeezing him again and dropping a kiss on the top of his head. "She's lucky to have you. We both are."

A few minutes later, Fiona was kissing them both goodbye as Kerrianne climbed on the back of his bike, backpack and all. They both waved goodbye as they took off down the road to Nativity Catholic School. They didn't get more than a couple of miles awake when he heard a few more bike come up behind them. He check his mirror to see Opie, Kozik, Piney, and some of the Prospects following, escorting one of their own to her first day of school. Though he couldn't see it, he could practically feel Kerrianne roll her eyes.

It wasn't long before they rolled up in front of the school. Kerrianne hopped off, handing him her helmet and kissing his cheek.

"Remember what I said, Baby," he told her. "Have a good day. I'll be back to get you after school."

"I will, Da. I love you!" she said, as she walked towards Tristen who was standing near the door. He looked around at the faces of the other kids, and could tell his plan worked. They all knew exactly who she belonged to, and he was glad.

"I love you, Kerrianne," he whispered. He turned to the large Prospect, the most reliable and dependable of the lot. "Prospect, you stay here today. If anything happens, call me."

Ignoring Opie's mocking chuckle, he cranked his bike to life, riding off with the rest of the guys following in his wake.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi guys! Hope that everybody had the very best of holidays! Here is chapter fifteen. I hope that you guys enjoy it! Please take a few minutes to review, if you can! I would appreciate it so, so much! Thanks again for reading! The next chapter should be up in a few days!**

Several weeks later, Filip was rushing to finish up a car so that he could leave. He was not overly concerned with doing the best, most thorough tire rotation possible, mostly because he was very anxious to leave, but also because the car's owner was a complete asshole. Fiona was standing at the door to the office, arms crossed, urging him to hurry up with her eyes. She had an appointment with the baby doctor in just over an hour, and Kerrianne had insisted that it was about time she go to one of these appointments. If they wanted to pick her up from school and get across town to the doctor's office in time for the appointment, they really needed to leave about ten minutes ago.

"Fuck it," he muttered. "Prospect! Finish this!"

He pick up a rag and walked over to where his wife was standing, smirking at him. She had a lingering suspicion that he got really squirrely with excitement every time they got to go to the doctor's office to see their little baby; she could relate. She was very proud of him; he hadn't missed a single appointment thus far. However, her pride did not outweigh the fact that he was currently covered in grease and wearing an oil stained shirt. She mostly ignored that fact as he walked up to her and kissed her. His lips had a way of making her forget everything, and as much as she loved what his tongue was doing right now, she really didn't have time to forget everything right now. He dropped the rag and reached for her hips.

"No!" she exclaimed, breaking the kiss. "We don't have time, Love, but come see me about that later. And go change your shirt."

Filip returned, washed up and in a clean shirt, about ten minutes later. They made their way to Kerrianne's school and signed her out, before they all loaded in the car and headed towards the doctor's office. They were headed across town, but the drive wasn't unpleasant. Kerrianne didn't want to talk about her day or her friends or school. She had only one subject that she wished to discuss.

"Please guys! Can you please just find out what kind of baby you are having?" she pleaded.

"For the last time, no! We don't want to know!" Fiona answered with a smile, amazed that Kerrianne hadn't realized yet that her task was futile. She had been begging them for the better part of a month to allow the doctor to tell them the gender of the baby, but she had made absolutely no progress.

"Da! Can you talk some sense into Ma? Please?" she continued to whine.

"Not a chance, Darlin. We'll know when the wee one gets here," he told her.

"But why can't we just find out now? It will make everything so much easier! You will know what color to paint the room, what kind of clothes to buy, and you can think of a name for it, so we can all stop calling it…it!" she argued.

"No, Kerrianne. We didn't find out with you, we won't find out with this one," Fiona told her.

"Yeah, but what color will you paint the room?" Kerrianne asked, still hoping to change their minds.

"I don't know. Filip, what do you think?" Fiona asked him, taking his hand.

"Green would be nice, maybe. Boys and girls both can like green, I think," he replied, having actually given this subject a lot of thought already.

"Green it is, then," she smiled at him.

"But what about naming it? The baby needs a name," Kerrianne said, knowing at this point that she was fighting a losing battle.

"If it is boy, I will name him and if it is a girl, your Da can name her. I hope you don't mind us switching that up, Love," she said as he parked the car.

"Not at all, Fi. Now let's stop arguing. I'll tell you what, Kerrianne. You can stare at the ultrasound, and see if you can make out anything," he told her.

They made their way into the office, and after a short wait, they found themselves in the little room with the ultrasound machine. Filip and Kerrianne were sitting in the little chairs off to the side. Fiona's shirt was pulled up as the cold, clear gel stuff was applied. Filip smiled to see the small belly that had continued to develop. With each passing day, her pregnancy was becoming more and more obvious. Kerrianne was looking at her mother in wonder. Apparently it had been awhile since she had seen her Ma shirtless, and the change was definitely noticeable.

A moment later the room was full of the sound of the growing baby's heart racing. Each and every time he heard it, Filip couldn't keep the smile off of his face. They spent some time staring in amazement at the tiny thing on the screen. Kerrianne looked shocked and enthralled. She stared at the little image of the baby on the screen. Her mouth was hanging open, and her eyes were not blinking. Filip could relate to her reaction.

"That's it? That's the baby?" she whispered.

"Oh yes, there's the baby. See the little head? And here are the arms and the legs. Want to know something crazy?" the ultrasound nurse asked. "It already has eyelashes."

"Wow," was the only thing Kerrianne could say. Filip was in complete agreement.

They listened for a while as the doctor and the nurse explained how the baby was developing. They said that everything looked completely healthy. When the doctor asked if they wanted to know the gender, Kerrianne immediately perked up, but was quickly shut down. They were pretty adamant about not wanting to know. Overall, the baby was getting bigger, Fiona was getting bigger, and everything was going according to plan.

Filip was feeling pretty good. The ultrasound nurse lady printed them some new pictures of the baby. Kerrianne was smiling and was already texting Tristen to update her on Baby Telford's growth. Fiona was clearly on cloud nine as she held tightly to his hand, while gazing lovingly at the little picture. So far, the appointment was going great. It was at that point that the doctor pulled out a giant needle and explained that he was going to jam it into Fiona's stomach.

Kerrianne booked it out of the room pretty much immediately, and Filip desperately wanted to follow her, but Fiona'a nervous look and hand squeezing his tightly kept him right in place. He wouldn't leave her alone. She was nervous about this; had spent hours and hours weighing the pros and cons of having an amniocentesis. Their doctor was all for it, and Tara had advised that it was really the best way to put their concerns about the baby's health to rest once and for all. Fiona had decided that it was a good idea, but that didn't mean that she wasn't very, very nervous about it.

He held her hand and her gaze during the entire procedure. He wasn't even tempted to look at the needle in her stomach. It didn't take long for the entire procedure to be done, and Fiona told him that she was fine and to hurry up and go find Kerrianne. His color was not good and she was concerned that he would pass out if he stayed very much longer. He walked into the hall and looked around for Kerrianne. He couldn't see her anywhere. He wandered away towards the waiting room, when he heard her voice.

"No, we are finishing up at the doctor. I saw the baby, and I don't see what the big deal is. It's just a baby….I think we are going home after this, but I'm not really sure…I will call you later and let you know what is happening…I want to see you too…I will try my best…" he walked around the corner at that point. "Hey, yeah, I have to go, my Da is here…yeah I will think about it…I'll call you later…Bye!"

"Who was that, Kerri?" he asked her, wondering what she would say.

"Oh, just a girl from school. Can I go meet up with some of them? We have a physics test tomorrow and I want to study with them. Can I go, Da? Please? Tristen said I could ride with her," Kerrianne asked him.

He didn't have a good reason to tell her no, so he just said, "Sure."

She smiled at him, and at that point, Fiona walked out and joined them. They made their way to the car, Fiona and Kerrianne laughing and talking, while he was trying to force a smile. He knew that she didn't realize exactly how much of her conversation he had eavesdropped on. He wasn't sure who she had been talking too, nor what exactly they had been talking about, but there was one thing he was sure of: His daughter had just lied to him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Here is Chapter 16! I really wanted to take a minute to thank those of you who have reviewed and message and added this story to their favorites! It really means a lot as an author, and I am so glad that you guys are enjoying this story. I am sorry that the updates have been a bit fewer and farther between, I have been ill and the Christmas season has kept me pretty busy. For those of you who are interested, I published a Christmas themed one-shot called Traditions that you might want to check out. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for reading and please take a couple of minutes to review!**

Filip Telford was currently living what could only be considered a very complicated life. He was in the process of moving, which is something he really, really hated. He was working at least 40 hours each week. He was one of the only Club members not in prison, so the very act of keeping the Club afloat was killing them all. He was doing his absolute best to be a loving, supportive husband to his wife, who was just over five months pregnant. To top it all off, he was absolutely sure he was being a shitty father to his fifteen year old daughter, because he was spying on her as often as he could.

There were several things, lately, that had clued Filip in to the fact that his daughter was not being completely and totally upfront about how she was feeling, what she was doing, and who she was doing it with. There were late night phone calls, a lot of "study dates" with people he had never met, some very strange mood swings when she didn't get to do what she wanted to do, and then there were the brand new passwords she had installed on her cell phone and laptop. He wished more than anything that Juice wasn't in prison and could hack into them.

That was another thing; Kerrianne hadn't wanted to go with him to Stockton to visit the past three weeks. She loved Juice, and had usually relished each and every opportunity she could find to go visit him, but lately she had just stopped going. It was bad enough for him to have no idea why she had stopped coming to visit, but he was the one who had to see Juice's face and spirits sink a little bit lower each time he came and Kerrianne didn't. It wasn't as if the boy had a whole lot to look forward to anyway, but for this to be taken away had to be killing him. Filip would be having a chat with his daughter as soon as he could work up the nerve.

It wasn't as if he couldn't just walk up to her, sit her down, present her with the evidence that he had collected that told him she was up to something, and insist that she tell him the truth. He could absolutely do that. She would lie at first, insist that nothing was wrong, but he would work her down and eventually, she would probably tell him. He couldn't make himself do it, though, and he hated himself for it.

Right now, he was one of her favorite people on the planet. She absolutely loved him, without question. When she opened up at all, about how she was feeling and what she thought, it was to him, even if she was constantly holding something back. He didn't think he could stand to lose that. He was still new at this parenting thing; still hadn't come to grasp the fact that there would be times when she would hate him. He just knew that if he told her how he had been spying on her, listening in on her conversations, and trying his best to figure out what she was up to, she would absolutely hate him, and it might damage their relationship beyond repair.

He had yet to tell Fiona about his concerns, figuring that she had enough on her plate right now. She was five months pregnant. The morning sickness had finally passed, only to be replaced by a myriad of other pregnancy symptoms. Her breasts had gotten huge, which he didn't mind in anyway, but she found annoying beyond belief. Her complete and total exhaustion had not eased in the slightest. Her back constantly ached from lugging around a growing fetus all day, and to top it all off, the very strange cravings had started. Right now, she wanted nothing but candy canes, onions, and red Gatorade, thankfully not together. What Fiona needed right now was to be taken care of and to get as much rest as she possibly could, and not worry needlessly about their daughter. He would worry enough for the both of them.

At the moment, he and Opie were in the process of moving. Fiona was staying with Tara for a few days, while Kerrianne was staying with Tristen. It was up to him and Opie to get them situated. In a very surprising movie, Piney had offered to trade houses with him. Piney lived in the same house he had always lived in, a four bedroom, brick number only a few miles away from Filip's current house. He lived alone, and claimed that he had absolutely no need for a house that large. Piney had always been an admirer of Filip's small, well maintained home, so when he heard that the family would need to move, he had offered up a trade. It sure as hell had made everything much, much easier.

He and Opie, as well as some of the Prospects, were supervising the house trading process and ensuring that everything was going smoothly. They had left the Prospects to actually do the packing and moving part, while the two of them were painting. Kerrianne had insisted that her room be the exact same color purple. Fiona had pick out a color called Wool Coat for their bedroom, and he was absolutely fine with whatever made her happy. Currently, they were working on painting the room that would become the nursery. He had chosen and bright, cheerful color of green that reminded him of grass. He figured that it would be easy enough to modify to fit whatever gender the baby turned out to be.

He and Opie were working side by side, mostly in silence. There was some music on in the background, the same nonsense that they usually listened to in the garage, and it made it easy for Filip to remain quiet and get completely lost in his own thoughts. They were working on the second coat before Opie punched him in the shoulder and handed him a cigarette. Filip immediately opened the large window, figuring he would probably be murdered for smoking in the baby's room. Whatever, he wouldn't do it again, and right now he could blame it on Piney.

"This used to be my room, you know," Opie said casually. "It had cowboy wallpaper, though, when I slept here. I'm not sure when Pop painted it this mauve color."

"Cowboys, huh? Seems fitting enough," Filip remarked.

"Yeah," Opie chuckled, before turning more serious. "So. What's bothering you?"

"What? Nothing. I'm okay," Filip lied.

"Right, of course you are. Now tell me what's wrong," Opie said.

"What makes you think something is wrong?" Filip asked, truly beginning to wonder if he had a tell.

"Chibs, I have known you forever. You usually never shut up, not even for five goddamn minutes. But we have been here for a couple of hours, and you haven't said more than five words. Now, start talking," Opie sad with a smirk.

"Ah, I don't know Op. You have your kids. Does this get any easier, being a Da?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know, brother. To tell you the truth, I don't have much to do with my kids. My role in their lives is mostly ceremonial. I was in prison for five years and missed most of the whole growing part. Donna took care of them, and now Lila and my Pop and my Ma usually take care of them. I'm not exactly in the running for World's Best Dad. But I love them, and they know it, and that's got to count for something," Opie said with a shrug.

"Yeah, it does," Filip told him, knowing that what he said was true. Opie sat quietly, knowing that his friend would talk when he was ready. "Shit, something is going on with Kerrianne. She isn't being honest about a lot of things. I have been spying on her, as discreetly as I possibly can, and the things she is telling me aren't adding up. She won't come with me to see Juice, and she is hardly even around anymore. She has mood swings worse than Fiona, and her grades are tanking. I can't figure out what's going on, and I can't confront her. If she knows I have been digging into her business…"

"Yeah, not good," Opie agreed. "What does Fi say?"

"Fi's got enough going on. I don't want her worrying about Kerrianne, on top of everything else," Filip said, knowing that this was something he needed to handle on his own. "I just don't know how to do this, Op. Just when I think everything is going okay, some shit like his happens."

"Yeah, and you aren't even close to done yet. With this new one, you are in for at least another 18 years," Opie joked. Filip looked at him with what he hoped was only a small amount of terror. "Listen, why don't you just talk to her? Give her a chance to tell you what is going on? Maybe she will surprise you. But, if she still doesn't tell you, we can step up the surveillance on her. Don't forget, brother, you have the SAMCRO arsenal at your disposal, even if most of them are in prison."

"Yeah, I guess you are right. Maybe it is time for me to lure her into another wonderful and emotionally fulfilling father/daughter talk. Lord knows those are always fun," Filip responded, only slightly glib.

"Let me know how that works out for you," Opie said with a laugh, before turning more serious. "Really though, Chibs. Try not to worry so much about it. You will figure out what's going on, and if she hates you for it, well, that probably just means you are doing things exactly right."

Filip joined his laugher for a minute, before flicking his cigarette out the window and picking up his paint roller. He might be failing on most fronts as a father, but he had to admit, this room was looking pretty damned good. At least he was doing something right.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey friends! So here is the last chapter of 2012! :-) I wish every a very blessed, happy 2013! I hope that you all enjoy the chapter and can find a minute or two to leave a review. Thanks so much for reading!**

"Da, tell me again why you dragged me out of bed on a Saturday morning to go shopping with you? What are we even buying, anyway?" Kerrianne whined as they walked into a store that was far too large to make sense of.

"We are here to buy a crib for the baby. You know that. I figured that I would pretty much be hopeless at buying it myself, so I thought that you could help," he explained to her for the third time.

"I still don't see why you couldn't make Ma come with you," she mumbled, checking her cell phone for the ninth time.

"I am trying to keep your nearly six months pregnant Ma off her feet as much as possible. In case you haven't noticed, she is not as young as she once was, and she is pretty much constantly in pain from carrying around a growing baby all the time. So, I thought that buying a crib would get us both on her good side," Filip explained, throwing an arm around his daughter.

"Fine, then. Let's find this crib so we can get home," Kerrianne grumbled.

"Someplace else you have to be, Darlin?" he said, removing his arm and trying not to be annoyed with her. "Because I am starting to take this attitude of yours personally."

She sighed, taking his hand, "Sorry, Da. I'm just tired, that's all. Let's find a crib for my baby brother/sister. You know, we could be finding clothes, and sheets, and toys too, if you guys would just find out what kind of baby it is."

"I know, Love, but one thing at a time, yeah?" he said.

They spent the next two hours wandering around the baby section, trying to figure out the major different between the $300 cribs and the $3,000 cribs. He actually, at one point, felt an incredible amount of pity for the poor sales guy who "helped" them. He patiently explained the difference between drop side and convertible cribs, and showed them pretty much every single one they had. Kerrianne threw questions at the poor man left and right, and he did his best to answer each of them, which lead her to argue with him about the answers he provided. He and Kerrianne spent a solid thirty minutes debating the right color for the crib. Kerrianne voted for black, while he favored a white one. In the end, they chose a very traditional walnut colored crib, as well as a matching table to change the baby on, and managed to lean more towards the $300 side of the spectrum.

"Did we really just spend almost three hours buying baby furniture?" Kerrianne asked, in amazement after looking at the time. "This baby is very, very picky."

"I am pretty sure it's not the baby that is picky. Is it bad that I wanted to give that poor guy a tip?" he asked, not even really kidding.

"Whatever, he gets paid minimum wage, which I am sure is a fair compensation for dealing with us," she smiled at him.

"Aye, you're probably right," he said, happy to see her smiling. "Can I buy you lunch, my little daughter?"

"I suppose so," she said, as she was very hungry. "You know, you aren't going to be able to call me 'your little daughter' anymore, if this one is a girl."

"Ah, Kerri," he said, hugging her close as they walked, "you've been my little daughter for many, many years now, and it's not going to change anytime soon, even if this wee one is a girl. The sooner you accept that, the better."

They enjoyed easy conversation, and Filip was beginning to think that this might go a little better than he had previously thought. In fact, their day was going so well that he almost didn't want to ruin it by bringing up anything that she didn't want to talk about. She had chosen to eat at the diner, and he waited until after she ordered, before he brought anything up.

"So, Kerri," he started, nervously, "How have you been doing?"

She looked slightly perplexed. "Fine, Da. How have you been doing?"

He sighed. Clearly, she was not going to make this easy. "Fine, Baby. It's just that it has been a long time since we have been able to just talk. You have seemed a bit quiet lately, and I feel like I have hardly seen you. I know that I have been busy and your Ma is a bit…preoccupied, but I just wanted to make sure that you are alright."

"Yeah, things have been a little bit insane, haven't they? School and moving and the baby," she mumbled.

"Aye, it has. And I hate to tell you, but I think it is going to keep being a little bit crazy for a while, and I'm sorry for that, Darlin. I just wanted to make sure that you are still dealing with all of this change okay. I've been pretty worried about you," he admitted to her.

"I'm sorry, Da. I have been…okay. Just school and friends and stuff. And I am still trying to get used to living here. It's really different," she told him, before taking a sip of her Coke.

"What's going on at school?" he asked, hoping that he was finally getting somewhere.

"I don't know. It's just…different. I don't know what the teachers want half the time, and they are completely wrong about most things. Did you know that my history teacher said that the IRA was an inactive terrorist organization? They are just dumb. It's obnoxious. That's why my grades have been all over the place. I will bring them all up," she explained, looking him in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Love. You have been studying a lot, so I know your grades will be back in no time. But at least you are making new friends in the meantime, right? Those girls that you go study with?" he asked her. He took notice when she immediately looked down.

"Yeah, the kids are mostly really nice. Some of them are asshole, but…I haven't had to punch anyone yet," she told him with a small smile.

He noticed that she didn't offer up any information about the people she had been spending time with lately. He decided to let it go, and leave that conversation for another time. He knew that he had pushed far enough today. Instead of pressing farther, he reached across the table and took her hand.

"I love you Kerri, and so does your Ma. I am so proud of you. It's not easy to deal with all of this business, and you are doing a wonderful job. I hope your little brother or sister is a lot like you. Just…keep talking to your Ma and I. We're always here, you know that, right?" he asked.

"Of course I do, Da. I love you," she said, the emotion making her voice thick. She let go of his hand and got up, coming to sit next to him and wrapping her arms around him. It was a surprise move, but he wouldn't complain at all.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi guys! Here is Chapter 18! Hope that guy guys enjoy this one...it may be a few days before I get another chapter up. Please take a minute to review if you have time. Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful day!**

It was a calm, quiet Friday night in December. The recently bought crib and changing able had been picked up and assembled. Fiona had, in fact, been thrilled with what Filip and Kerrianne had picked out, and had rewarded them both, albeit in very, very different ways. They had all settled nicely into the larger house, and everything was painted and unpacked and arranged, thanks mostly to Fiona's keen ability to direct the prospects around. It was a home, not his home or her home, but their home.

Currently, Filip was reclining on the comfy sofa. There was a warm fire in the fireplace. His wife's head was resting in his lap, and his hand was resting on her stomach. The baby that was growing within was kicking up a storm, and Filip just couldn't seem to stop smiling. He couldn't even begin to imagine how it felt from Fiona's end, being battered from the inside out, but from where he was sitting, it was pretty cool.

"The baby must like you, Filip. He kicks like crazy whenever you're around. If he doesn't stop kicking my bladder, I am going to have to make you leave," she smiled up at him.

"He?" Filip questioned, still fielding kicks from the baby in question.

"Just a hunch. I change my mind just about every day," she told him, taking his hand off of her stomach and holding it in her own. "Which reminds me, have you chosen a name yet, if this wee one happens to be a girl?"

"Not yet," he said. "I am thinking of giving baby girl naming rights to Kerrianne. I am not great at coming up with names, and I keep drawing blanks. Besides, maybe it will make her feel more involved. You know, more like a big sister, and less like a moody teenager."

"Have you heard her latest baby name idea?" Fiona asked, with raised eyebrows. "She thinks that Mordred would be a good name for the baby."

Filip managed to stifle his laugh. "Of course she does. I promise, Love, if it is a little girl in there, I won't let her be called Mordred. Are you going to tell me what you plan on naming Baby Telford if it's a boy?"

"Of course not! That would ruin the fun!" she laughed at him. "So where is our daughter this evening?"

"She and Tristen are at the mall and then a movie until 10:45, at which time Elliot will pick them up and she will be back here by 11:10 at the latest," Filip replied. He had made Kerrianne tell him the time schedule at least three times.

"Ah, so it is just us old folks here tonight?" she asked him, knowing full well what the answer was.

"Looks like," he said, moving his hand to play with her hair. It was so insane and curly, and he absolutely adored it.

"I'm glad that she's out and having fun. She is making friends here, and her grades are back where they should be. She seems to be doing okay, doesn't she?" Fiona asked him.

Fiona was looking up at him from her place on his lap. Her eyes were so big and brown and soft; she was absolutely gorgeous. She had a small smile on her face, and she looked completely and totally happy. He hated to put any doubts in her mind, so he just replied, "Yeah, she really does seem to be happy."

His tone must have left something to be desired. She sat up, with a bit of help, and turned to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong!" he tried to tell her. She clearly wasn't buying it. She took his hand and raised her eyebrows. "I just…worry about her."

"Be more specific, Filip," she urged him.

"I just wonder if she is really telling us everything that is going on, that's all. She had that trouble with school, but as soon as we began to notice and take a closer look at it, her grades came up again, which is good, but suspicious, almost like she didn't want us involved or asking questions about school. She has been spending a lot of time with these friends, and other than Tristen, we don't know anything about them! They could be…terrible, awful war criminals or something! She is always texting or doing God knows what on her computer, and she put passwords on both her phone and her laptop, which makes it difficult to spy on her and see what she is doing. And have you noticed that every time she is on the phone, and one of us walks into the room, she walks out of the room? She could be doing drug deals," he ranted just a bit.

She stared at him for almost a minute. She was completely still, and then a small tremor started in her mouth. He stared in horror, thinking for just a split second that she was going to cry. Therefore, it was a huge surprise for him when she burst out laughing. Her laughter was deep, and she was gasping for breath in no time. Filip just stared at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Oh God. Oh, my Filip, I'm sorry, Love," she said, still trying to breath steadily and wiping tears from her eyes. "Let me get this straight. You are concerned because our teenage daughter is being sneaky, and you think her friends might be Nazis, and maybe she is doing drugs deals?"

When she said it like that, even Filip had to admit that it sounded a little bit ridiculous. Still, he couldn't help but be worried about Kerrianne. "I know it sounds stupid, Fi, but I am just…worried about her."

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "Welcome to parenthood, Love. I hate to break it to you, Filip, but she is fifteen years old. There are probably about a thousand secrets that she is keeping from us. That is how teenagers are. I will talk to her, and try to get to know more about her friends, but I really doubt that they are any sort of war criminals, and I really doubt that she is buying or selling any sort of drugs. Not when she could get whatever she needs by just asking Piney," Fiona joked. He did not find it amusing. "She isn't shooting heroin, and Tristen and that crowd are harmless. Kerrianne is a good girl. I love that you are looking out for her; that you are worried about her. That's just part of being a good Da. The truth, my boy, is that she is going to get into trouble and make bad choices. As long as they are too bad, everything will be fine. After all, it's not like she is doing what WE were doing at fifteen."

He shuddered just thinking about it. He hadn't even considered that a boy might be involved. If he discovered that his daughter was even considering doing any of the things he and Fiona did at her age, she would be going straight to a convent, no questions asked. There was no way that he wanted his little girl to be like him, at least not in that regard.

"You don't think that she is doing _that_, do you?" he asked her, a little bit desperately.

"I really don't, no. I wouldn't have been doing _that_ when I was fifteen, either, except that it was you, so it was a bit of a different story. Not everybody finds their soul mate at fourteen, and I think she is smart enough to not have sex with just anybody, Love. I think that she is fine. If it will make you feel better, though, I will keep a closer eye on her," she told him. He nodded in relief. Fiona was still amazed that he was that concerned and attentive, not only to their daughter's needs, but her as well. She wasn't used to that and hadn't expected it. While Kerrianne was growing up, Jimmy really hadn't given a shit about what she was up to, mostly because he had so many spies, that if she even stepped a toe out of line, he would know about it instantly. Truth be told, she was glad that her daughter could have more freedom here.

She also reveled in the fact that somebody was taking care of her, that somebody was concerned with making her happy. She could honestly say that he worked beyond hard to make sure that she felt loved and comfortable at all times. Fiona loved him, so much. Her Filip really was an uncommon man, and she hoped that if her hunch was correct, and this new little one was a boy, that he would be just like her husband.

"So, speaking of _that_. We have a whole evening to ourselves. Is there any chance I could convince you to take me to bed, dear husband, so that I can have my way with you?" she asked, with a coy smile.

"Oh, I think that could be arranged. We have a few hours before the girl gets home. I am pretty sure you could have your way with me at least two times before then," he said with a wink and a smile. While he hadn't wanted to burden Fiona over his concerns with Kerrianne, talking to her always made him feel better, more relaxed. All it took was a ten minute conversation, and he was already feeling much more at ease; at ease enough to take his wife to bed and lose himself for a while.

She leaned across and kissed him, before getting up and heading toward the bedroom, tossing her shirt at him as she made her way out of the room.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! Second chapter in as many days, lucky you, LOL! ;-) I am trying to get as many chapters up before I return to work on Monday, because it will slow way down then. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. Please leave a review if you have a moment! Have a wonderful day!**

It was three days before Christmas, and there was an unnatural cold surrounding Charming, and he was regretting his choice to ride the bike. As the freezing cold wind ripped at his face, he was wishing that he was with his girls in the cars trailing behind them. All around them, there were gaudy decorations littering lawns, and lights hung around houses. It was clear that the people in these houses were eagerly anticipating Christmas. They were probably inside, baking or wrapping presents or something like that. He was a bit envious.

Their entire crew was headed to Stockton for a holiday celebration with the guys. Nothing quite said "Merry Christmas" like cheap garland draped over prison bars and cardboard cutouts portraying Santa and all of his reindeer. There would be no visitation from now until after Christmas, so they were all headed up to see the guys today. Kerrianne had actually agreed to come with minimal arguing. He knew that Juice would be excited to see her, and for that he was glad.

Filip was actually looking forward to the holiday this year. In past years, he had spent Christmas day being miserable and missing his family. He usually spent his Christmas plastering on a fake smile at Gemma's house and then getting drunk with Juice, before the kid fell into a drunken slumber on his couch. This year, he and Fiona would stay up until Kerrianne fell asleep, and the put all of the gifts under the elaborately decorated tree they had spent hours decorating. Then, he would go to bed next to his heavily pregnant wife, and wake up to watch his daughter open the massive amount of gifts under the tree.

He would miss Juice, though. Somehow, over the years, the kid had become family to Filip. Of course, all of his brothers were considered family, but Juice was a little bit different. He hated the Juice would be spending Christmas in prison. The kid always got a bit of childish holiday exuberance whenever December rolled around. Filip doubted that the same holiday spirit would be present inside of Stockton prison.

On the bright side, it would only be about six weeks until the guys came home. It had been a very long prison stretch, and he would be glad to have the guys home again. Some of the pressure would be taken off he and Opie, and in a very timely manner as well. Opie would be getting married as soon as the guys were released, and Fiona was due about a week later. It really seemed as if everything was coming together nicely.

They all pulled into the prison and parked. He waited by the bikes with the rest of the guys, until he saw Fi and Kerrianne climb out of Tara's car, laughing hysterically. He was almost sure that he didn't even want to know what that was all about. Once their little crew was all together, they made their way to the weary guards at the prison entrance. Thinking about it for a moment, Filip laughed at what a strange crew they all must have made. There were four leather clad bikers, a fingerless man, two babies, a teenage girl, one extremely pregnant woman, and two not pregnant women. All they were missing was a partridge in a pear tree.

After they made it through security, which was brutal, seeing as the guards thought Fiona might be hiding some sort or contraband rather than a baby under her shirt, they made their way to the visitation wing. He chuckled to realize that there were more visitors than there were inmates. Luckily, visitations at Stockton were relatively relaxed, and by now, he was on first name basis with most of the visitation guards.

The atmosphere was relatively festive, at least as far as prisons went. He spent about an hour, going from table to table. He had an awesome time just visiting and talking with his brothers. He had missed this. Not that Opie, Piney, and Kozik weren't brothers; they were, of course. The simple truth of the matter was that, between Fiona, Kerrianne, Gemma, Tara, and Lila, their lives were overrun with estrogen at the moment.

He sat with Jax and Clay as they passed Thomas back and forth and took turns cooing over him; at least until he started to cry. He watched Abel, perched on Jax's lap, entertaining his father with elaborate, unintelligible stories. He moved on to Bobby, and spent some time discussing the jarring inadequacy of the prison library, before moving on to their ongoing debate about whether Jack Kerouac could be considered an author, or a drug addled rambler. Tig spent a good ten minute telling him how hot Fiona was, and how pregnant women turned him on. Filip really didn't take it personally. Tig was alone in prison, and Filip would be going home with the hot pregnant woman. When he got to Happy, they just played cards for a bit and discussed how absolutely stupid Tig was.

Juice was on the end, and once Tara was done explaining to him that he could not catch Tig's STDs simply by sharing a toilet, Filip took the seat that Tara abandoned. Most of the rest of the group gathered down at the end to listen to Abel babble some Christmas songs, but seeing as that was literally all Abel did these days, Filip had heard it before, so he stayed seated.

"You can go listen if you want, Kid. He does a mean version of Jingle Bells," Filip spoke up, catching Juice's attention.

"I'm good," Juice replied, finally turning to look at him. The kid looked tired. His hair was even more ridiculous long than it was shaved. His face was a bit thinned out and he looked like he would give just about anything to not be in prison right now. "How are you doing?"

"Better than you, from the looks of it. You okay, Juicy?" Filip asked.

"As okay as anybody in prison on Christmas can be," Juice shrugged. "I'll be fine."

"Yeah, only about another month and a half and you will all be home. You've been here for more than a year, so six more weeks should be nothing at all," Filip said, trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah, I just need a goddamn cheeseburger," Juice muttered. "You doing okay, man?"

"I'm golden. Some minor upsets, but at least I'm not in prison," Filip replied with a smirk.

"Golden sounds about right. You are gonna be a Dad again any day now!" Juice said with a smile.

"Jesus, don't let Fiona hear you say that. She's still got at least eight weeks to go. You guys should be out just before the kid comes," Filip told him.

"Sweet! I've never seen a baby be born before," Juice said.

"Yeah, and you won't be seeing this one, either. You can stay in the waiting room with everybody else," Filip told him, which earned a laugh from Juice. "Did you talk to Kerrianne?"

"Yeah," Juice nodded. "What's wrong with her?"

"So you see it, too. I'm glad, I thought I was the only one," Filip said, relieved.

"Yeah, something is definitely different. She hasn't come with you in months, and now when she does, she didn't really even say anything about herself at all. She just asked me a bunch of questions about prison, which really shouldn't be that interesting to a teenage girl. Maybe she is having a hard time with all that is going on?" Juice guessed.

"I'm sure she is, but she denies it; claims that she has everything under control. It's driving me mad. Fiona just thinks its normal teenage stuff and we should leave her alone," Filip said.

"But you don't think so?" Juice asked.

"I don't honestly know. Something about it bothers me. She tries too hard to act like nothing at all is bothering her," Filip admitted. "Has she said anything to you?"

"Nah, man. But if she does, you'll be the first to know. I'll, um, send her a letter or give her a call and see if she'll say anything to me," Juice assured him.

"Thank you, brother. I appreciate it," Filip said, looking him in the eye.

"Yeah, it's no problem. I wish there was more I could do. Wish that I was on the outside. I'd trail her myself," Juice told him with a pitifully honest face.

"I know you would. Tell you what, as soon as you get out of here, we will put you on that. You can spend your first days of freedom following a bunch of school girls around," Filip said with a smile.

They both laughed, and then allowed their conversation to move off into a different direction. That didn't stop each of them from glancing over at Kerrianne every so often, eyebrows knit together with worry.


	20. Chapter 20

**Here is chapter 20! Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope that you enjoy it! Please take a moment to review if you cen find the time!**

It was barely 7:00 in the morning when Filip was rudely awoken by his teenage daughter mercilessly shaking him. Fiona's low groan from where her head rested on his chest told him that she was receiving the same treatment.

"What the hell, Kerrianne?" he muttered, still half asleep.

"Guys, come on! Get up! It's Christmas!" she pretty much shouted, causing them both to groan again.

"Yes, and it will still be Christmas in a couple of hours," Fiona grumbled. "Come back then."

"Ma. Da. Get up. There are presents. I've been to the living room. I've seen them. I want to open them and find out what's inside of the shiny paper. Get up!" Kerri continued to whine.

"Fine! Just go away so we can get out of bed. Da is naked under this blanket, you know!" Fiona shot at her daughter.

"Oh my God! So gross. Just hurry up!" she said, before turning and stomping out of the room.

"You know that you have to get me naked now, otherwise, you would be a liar," Filip whispered to her, before burying his nose in her hair and inhaling, just enjoying the smell of her.

"I could do that, Love, but I don't think out darling girl has the patience for that. I am guessing that we have roughly three minutes to be out of this room before she marches back in here, this time with heavy things to throw at us," she informed him.

"Well in that case, I suppose we should think about actually getting out of bed," he reasoned.

"Or you could kiss me," Fiona said, finally looking up at him.

He quickly complied with her request. There was something about kissing Fiona that he never got sick of. He still couldn't get over the fact that he got to wake up next to her and kiss her every morning. Filip fought the urge to lock the door, pull his wife even closer, and do a little more than kiss her. Instead, he allowed Fiona to end the kiss.

"Mmmmm, we should finish this a little later, yeah?" she asked, biting her lip.

"You've got it," he promised. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Very, very pregnant. But other than that, I am great," she replied with a smile. "It's Christmas. We are going to have a real Christmas. Our daughter is waiting out there to open her presents. It's going to be a really great day."

"Aye, it will be. Mind you, it would have been better if it had started a bit later, but I'll take what I can get," he smiled and kissed her one last time, before helping her out of bed.

They managed to pull on sweaters and socks and make their way to the living room. Their daughter was sitting on the couch, looking incredibly impatient. In the corner of the room stood their overly decorated Christmas tree. Fiona and Kerrianne had gone a bit nuts with the tinsel and the lights, but he was fine with whatever made them happy.

"Finally! It took you long enough!" Kerrianne exclaimed. "Can we open presents now?"

"Of course not, Love," Fiona said with a smile as she entered the room and smiled at her daughter. "Breakfast comes first. First nourishment, and then presents."

"What? When did that become a rule?" Kerrianne shrieked.

"Well, around the time when I got pregnant and started being hungry all the time," Fiona replied.

Kerrianne rolled her eyes and turned her eyes towards her father. "Morning, Da. What are you going to make for breakfast?"

"Good morning, Kerrianne, and a very Merry Christmas to you, too. I was thinking something very time consuming and elaborate," he said, which received groans from his daughter. "If I do this carefully, it could very well be hours before you are opening your gifts."

"Come on, Da! Don't be mean to me!" she complained, but with a smile on her face.

"Fine, I won't be. What would you like for breakfast, little daughter?" he asked her, putting and arm around her.

"Toast!" she blurted out, coming up with the fastest breakfast food imaginable.

"Not a chance!" Fiona interjected. "How about pancakes? Can we have pancakes?"

"Yeah, pancakes might be really good," Kerri agreed.

"Pancakes it is then!" he said, before getting up and heading to the kitchen. "I may need some help, though."

He and Kerrianne spent the next half an hour dmixing up and cooking pancakes. Kerrianne mixed the ingredients and poured, while he was in charge of flipping. She even got creative and began forming the batter into various Christmas themed shapes. They ended up laughing hysterically at the half Christmas tree, half reindeer shaped pancakes. By the time they served their malformed pancakes to Fiona, he and Kerrianne were both covered in batter. They ate quickly, and then Fiona sent them both to wash up. Filip briefly wondered how he had ended up with pankcake batter in his hair, but didn't worry too much on the question.

By the time he made his way back to the living room, Kerrianne was chomping at the bit to get to her presents. He made his way over to the couch, where he sat with and arm around Fiona. They let Kerrianne loose on her presents. He sat and watched as she opened a ton of clothes, three pairs of shoes, a new purse, about a thousand pieces of jewelry and make up, a new digital camera, a bookshelf for her room, and various other things. She seemed relatively thrilled with her haul, and was sitting happily, encouraging her parents to get started on their presents.

"Why are there more presents under that tree, my dear Filip, when I specifically remember agreeing that the parents weren't going to get any presents this year?" Fiona asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"I have no idea. I suppose that you will have to speak with Santa about that. Really, Fi, I have no control over the man," he said, trying to plaster an innocent look on his face.

He had thought for weeks and weeks about what he should get Fiona for Christmas. He eventually decided on the right thing, and had purchased a perfectly chosen rocking chair for the baby's room, which she absolutely loved. It resembled the one that had sat in the corner of Kerrianne's nursery, and she had been heartbroken when it had broken during the move overseas. He had searched far and wide to find one just like it and was thrilled that she liked it. Kerrianne had purchased her mother a wide assortment of movies that she deemed essential for every collection. She long ago decided that Filip's own collection was far too "manly".

His girls had provided him with a couple of new-to-him books, including a gorgeous, leather bound Oscar Wilde collection from Fiona and an ancient looking copy of The Odyssey and a massive new cookbook from Kerrianne. Fi had also made him a new scarf to wear, seeing as the ones he was currently wearing were roughly twelve years old. He proudly donned it, before kissing her soundly. It had been a long time since he had had real Christmas presents of substance. The fact that his girls had spent time and money to get him Christmas gifts gave him more than enough reason to smile.

The floor was littered with wrapping paper, but none of them made any moves to pick it up. Kerri was preoccupied with running back and forth to her room, trying on all of her new clothes. Filip was flipping through his new books, reading passages here and there, while stealing and eating pieces of Kerrianne's Christmas candy. Fiona was relaxing against him, making comments on each of Kerri's wardrobe changes. None of them were in any hurry to actually do anything; all of them content to just lay around in their pajamas and enjoy each other's company.

Several hours later, they did get up and throw away the wrapping paper before they showered and got dressed. They headed over to Gemma's house for an early Christmas dinner with the SAMCRO crew. Even though many were missing, they managed to have a nice enough time. The women all oh-ed and ah-ed over Fiona's growing stomach and took turns holding baby Thomas, while the guys managed to sneak in a few hands of cards.

Somewhere in the midst of everything that was going on, Filip's phone rang. After he made sure nobody was looking at him too carefully, he headed outside and accepted the charges from Stockton prison.

"Hey there Juicy," he said, not even needing to ask who it was.

"Hey man," came Juice's voice. "Merry Christmas. Sorry to bother you guys."

"Merry Christmas. Don't worry about it. You doing okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just another day in Stockton," Juice said, clearly not thrilled to be spending Christmas in prison. "Listen, I talked with Kerrianne."

"Oh, yeah? And what did she have to say?" Filip eagerly asked. Maybe Juice got to the bottom of what was happening, which would be awesome.

"Absolutely nothing at all," came Juice's reply. "She said that she is fine and that she wishes that everybody would leave her alone and if she needs help she will ask for it and that I should be worrying more about myself and less about her. She said that her friends are good people and anybody who says that they aren't can go straight to hell."

Filip was quiet for a second, just thinking. Finally, he asked, "Juice, did you mention anything to her about her friends?"

"Not a damned thing. I'm glad you caught that. Which tells me…" Juice started.

"…that there is a problem, and it is absolutely about her friends," Filip finished.

"Exactly," Juice confirmed. "Sorry that it isn't better news."

"Alright Juicy. It's fine. I'll deal with it," Filip said.

"Alright well, tell everybody hello for me. Eat some of Gemma's mashed potatoes for me. Those things are what dreams are made of."

"You've got it, Juicy. We'll be out to see you guys in a couple of days, as soon as you are allowed visitors, again," Filip promised, grateful for the help.

He hung up the phone, and turned to head inside. Looking through the window at the family gathered inside, he couldn't help but feel grateful for everything he had, even if things weren't perfect. Everybody inside was happy and healthy. His family was about a month shy of being whole and together. They had more than enough of everything they needed. He was truly blessed.

By the time it got dark, the cold air had settled in, and Christmas dinner was winding down. The family loaded themselves and even more gifts into the car and set off towards home. While the girls changed into comfortable pajamas, Filip built a roaring fire in the fireplace. He took his turn changing, and by the time he returned, the fire had cast warmth and a cheery glow about the room. The girls had made popcorn and had chosen to watch _It's A Wonderful Life_. He settled on the couch, Fiona relaxed against one side of him and Kerrianne curled into his other. As he watched the movie with his girls, any troubles seemed far away. He decided that it really was, in fact, a pretty wonderful life.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hi guys! Hope that everybody is having a fantastic day! Here is chapter 21. I know that some people will have some objections to young people shooting weapons, but this was something that my grandfather and I did all the time when I was a kid, so hopefully it is okay. I hope that you enjoy the chapter and please review! Thanks!**

The day was cool, but the sun was beating down harshly, reflecting off the light terrain around them. Filip was feeling beyond glad that he had remembered his trusty sunglasses, otherwise it would have been brutal. There were bullets flying, one right after the other, hitting and destroying their targets with a precision that surprised him. With an eye like the shooter had, he couldn't help but feel glad that the bullets were flying in the opposite direction.

"Fantastic job, Sweetheart!" he shouted once the clip was empty.

"Thanks, Da!" Kerrianne replied, a huge smile on her face, before handing him the gun. "I like this gun a lot. Not as much as my revolver, but still, it's fun to shoot. More shots, too."

"Aye, it doesn't kick nearly as much as a revolver, but it's harder and more time consuming to load a clip," he explained to her.

It was two weeks after Christmas, and Filip had checked Kerrianne out of school early, barely an hour after it had started. It was a beautiful day, the sun making it unusually warm for a January day. They had ridden up to the Wahewa reservation to target shoot for a while. Really, it was yet another excuse to just spend time with his daughter. In just over a month, the baby would be here and things would get much, much busier for all of them. He wasn't sure when he was going to get the chance to do this again.

He was proud at what an excellent shot his daughter had become. She had a good eye and could be counted on to hit her target. He was also thrilled at how amazingly safe and sensible she was when dealing with a weapon. She was fifteen year old and handled her weapon better than any of the Prospects did, plus she could shoot better. He would have to make sure to point that fact out to all of them later today.

Kerrianne was thrilled to be out here with her father today. She had been surprised when she had been pulled out of second period and sent to the office. She saw her father there, and for a moment was terrified that something was wrong with her Ma or the baby. Her Da never knew about her panic; she managed to keep her cool long enough for her Da to tell her that they would be going out today, just the two of them, for some practice. Her poker face was getting better every day, but she no longer knew if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

Kerrianne's life was…complicated. California was very, very different than Ireland, but for all the differences, things were very much the same. The kids here were more or less the same. The main different was that instead of fighting each other over the fate of a free, Catholic Ireland, they were fighting about, well, mostly sex. That, and in California, not nearly as many kids ended up dead. The differences had been jarring and confusing at first for Kerrianne, but now that she was settled, she had found a sort of freedom. Here, she could make mistakes. Here, a bit of rebellion would end with a stern talking too and being grounded for a few weeks. Here, she could be friends with whoever she wanted, and never had to ask them about their parents' affiliations. Here, she could even talk to boys.

Not that her Da, or her Ma for that matter, had any idea that she did that. No, she was enjoying the freedom that Charming had offered her far too much to let her parents know about it. She liked pretending to stay out late studying, but really staying out late doing whatever she and her friends wished. She liked skipping class every so often and meeting up with her friends in the field house. She liked the easygoing nature of her new friends, especially the male ones. Most of all, she liked knowing that getting caught wouldn't result in anybody being taken out and beaten halfway to death.

More than anything about America, she liked having her Da. There had been nothing easy about this move. It had been sudden and the transition had been rough. Finding out that there would be a new baby, on top of that, had incited such a wide array of emotions in her, from joy to jealousy. Her Da, however, had been there for her, no matter what. He gave her everything she needed and made sure that she was never alone in anything. He made her feel loved, beyond belief, and while she could pretend all she wanted that the way her parents acted together grossed her out, she could be more thrilled that he Ma finally had the husband she deserved.

She picked up the empty clips at her feet and made her way over to the only tree anywhere near them. Taking a seat underneath it, on the blanket that they had spread out, she picked up her soda and took a long pull from it. This was another thing she loved about California; literally nobody cared what she ate or drank. Her Da came to join her on the blanket, placing the guns down in front of them and collecting the empty shells.

"You did good today, Kid," he told her.

She smiled, before replying "I learned from the best."

"Yes, you did, and don't quickly forget it!" he winked at her. "So, what exciting class should you be in right now?"

"It's what, 12:45? I would be in physics. Have you ever heard the Catholic view on anything having to do with science? It is a little bit ridiculous," she informed him.

He quickly pointed out the bright side, "Yes, well, at least you know that, on exams, you can always answer with any member of the Holy Trinity and probably get the question correct."

She laughed for a moment, before turning and looking at him. "Thanks for bringing me out here today, Da. I like hanging out with you. I don't suppose we will be able to do this much once the baby come, will we?"

He sighed, before taking her hand and saying, "Darling, I don't care if there are ten new babies coming. If you want to spend time with me, or with your Ma, all you have to do is say the word. We're always going to be your parents, Kerri."

"I know, and I'm glad. I couldn't have picked better ones myself," she said, squeezing his hand. "Speaking of Ma, did you tell her that you and I were playing hookey today?"

"Nah, not yet. But I will. Do me a favor?" he asked.

"What favor is that?" Kerrianne inquired.

"Spend some time with your Ma soon? Do some girly shit or something. I wouldn't want to make her jealous by hogging you all the time," he smirked at her.

"Yeah, no problem. I've been meaning to anyway, I doubt she can even reach her own toenails to paint them anymore," Kerrianne said seriously. "Maybe I will see if she wants to hang with me on Friday night."

"Aye, about that," Filip said. "Maybe not this weekend. I wanted to ask you about something."

"What's up?" Kerrianne asked, her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Well, what are the chances you could stay with Tristen this weekend? Or maybe Tara?" he asked.

"I probably could, why?" she demanded, making it clear that she wanted more information before agreeing to anything.

"It's our anniversary, your Ma's and mine," he stated, simply.

"Really? I had no idea," she said, surprised.

"Aye, on Saturday," he nodded. "And don't worry about it. Last time we actually celebrated one, you were four years old. I don't hold it against you for not remembering."

"How long have you guys been married?" she wondered.

"Twenty three years, now," he told her, with a smile.

"Wow," was all she could come up with.

"Wow is right," he responded with no small amount of pride.

"What do you think you guys will do?" Kerri asked.

"Not sure, actually," he said with a shrug.

"You should take her to the cabin. It's really pretty there, she would really like the lake," Kerri suggested.

"You think so?" he asked, surprised by her idea.

"I know so," Kerrianne replied. "So…did you get her anything?"

"I did," he said, evasively.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" she questioned, as if she was talking to a slow person.

"Not a chance. You would tell her in an instant!" he accused. "Besides, I expect that you will be hearing about it soon enough."

"Ah, so it's that good, is it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"It's pretty good," he admitted, looking at her sideways. "So you're really okay with staying at a friend's this weekend?"

"It's fine, Da. I'll stay with Tristen, we'll get absolutely no sleep and watch movies and whatnot. You and Ma can do whatever terribly dirty things you two do. Maybe we can all have dinner together on Sunday or something," Kerrianne shrugged. "Hey! Next year, I can babysit on your anniversary if you want me to!"

"That would be good, on both counts," he said. "Now, are you going to shoot at some more things, or are we done?"

"Let's be done. I am starving; my lunch time should have been an hour ago. You can buy me lunch and then take me to a movie, if you'd like!" she said with a wide smile.

"I would like. Let's call Ma, see if she wants to go with us, yeah?" he asked, knowing that she wouldn't argue with him.

"Yeah, okay, I'll call her as soon as I have signal on my phone again," she said, picking up her backpack and making her way to the bike. She would never admit this to any of her friends, but spending the afternoon with her parents was exactly what she wanted to do.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello friends! Here is chapter 22! Thank you for reading and enjoying, and please please please take a moment to review if you can!**

Filip returned home from work on Friday afternoon to find his home in a state of chaos. It had been an extremely long day. He had started before the sun this morning, needing to ensure all of his required work was finished before starting the weekend, and now that it was, he was looking forward to taking a long, hot shower and then driving his wife up to the cabin to celebrate their anniversary. He had planned the surprise meticulously, and unless Kerrianne or Gemma or Opie had blabbed, she had no idea.

It was nearing 4:00 when he rode up to the house and cut the engine. If everything was going according to plan, Kerrianne should have discreetly packed a bag for her Ma, and left it in the backseat of the car. He grinned when he walked by the car and, glancing in the window, saw it sitting on the floor. He made a mental note to remind himself to do something nice for Kerrianne as soon as possible. Elliot would be picking her up shortly, so that she could spend the weekend with Tristen. Filip smiled to himself. He really loved it when a plan came together perfectly.

The smile quickly fell off of his face when he entered the house to find Fiona banging on Kerrianne's bedroom door.

"Kerrianne, I swear to God that if you don't open the door right this instant, I will break it down!" she shouted.

"Stop beating on the door, Mother! I will open it as soon as you calm down and stop acting like a paranoid crazy person!" came Kerrianne's ill-advised retort.

Luckily, he was fast enough to get his arms around Fiona before she all out attacked the door in an effort to make good on her promise to break it down.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked, loud enough for Kerrianne to hear him through the door.

"Your daughter is being a disrespectful little child!" Fiona shouted, clearly still upset.

"No I'm not! SHE is accusing me of things when I didn't do ANYTHING!" Kerrianne screamed, her door finally opening.

Fiona opened her mouth to counter Kerrianne's remark, before he interrupted. "Enough. Calm down and for God's sake, could somebody elaborate as to why the hell you two are screeching at each other?"

"I got a message from one of Kerrianne's teachers today, saying that we need to have an urgent conference as soon as possible. She refuses to tell me why," Fiona said, her teeth clenched together.

"That's because I don't know why! I told you that! How am I supposed to know why my crazy ass teacher wants to have a conference with you?" Kerrianne started to raise her voice again. He shot her a look telling her that if she knew what was good for her, she would shut her mouth.

"Can we at least agree to just sit down and talk about this like rational people?" he asked. Fiona took a deep breath and gave him a half-smile. He got a nod from his daughter. They made their way to the living room, where they sat down. "Kerrianne, you have no idea why your teacher wants to meet with us? Not even an inkling?"

"No," she replied shortly.

"And you understand that we will find out eventually, so here is really no use in not telling us now?" he calmly questioned.

"Yes," she said, firmly.

He fixed her with a look that clearly told her she would be in trouble if he found out differently. He turned to look at Fiona. She looked much more calm, and a lot less apt to hit anybody or anything.

"Can you try to be less of a sarcastic, spiteful little girl when talking to your mother?" Fiona asked, her tone dangerously sweet.

"I can try, as long as you can try to not accuse me of doing things when I haven't done anything at all," Kerrianne replied, in a voice similar to her mother's.

"Fine," Fiona snapped back.

"Fine," Kerrianne replied.

"Great. Everything is fine then," Filip cut in, unsure of what else to say. Outside, they heard a horn honk. Kerrianne immediately got up and walked to her room and reemerged with a backpack.

"Where do you think you are going?" Fiona asked, clearly still not knowing what was happening.

"I am going to Tristen's house," Kerrianne said, without even looking at her.

"Says who? Why should I let you go anywhere, after the way you have been talking?" Fiona asked, her temper clearly rising.

"Says Da. He's taking you away for the weekend. Surprise. Happy anniversary," Kerrianne spit out, before leaning down and kissing him. "I love you."

With that she stomped out the door, slamming it shut behind her and leaving her Ma sitting on the couch, mouth agape. They sat in silence for a few minutes, her trying to process what was going on, him trying to be patient and not pull his own hair out. The silence stretched, until it became almost uncomfortable.

"Filip?" she whispered softly. He turned to look at her. "Are you really taking me away from here?"

"That was the plan, yeah. Just up to the cabin at the lake for a couple of days. If you want to, I mean" he explained, not quite as eloquently as he had wished.

"That would be…amazing, actually. Thank you, Love. I'm sorry about all of that," she said, looking down.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Let's just worry about getting out of here and taking it easy for a while, okay? Whatever is going on with Kerrianne will be waiting when we get back," he said.

"You're right," she said, before leaning over to kiss him. "Thank you for doing sweet things for me."

"Always," he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her again. "Sorry that Kerrianne is being a moody teenager. From what I hear, it's perfectly normal and these things happen all the time."

An hour later, they were in the car, on their way up to the cabin. Filip, who relished every opportunity to spoil his wife, had even bought her a milk shake and let her pick the music in order to keep her happy during the trip. It was as pleasant as any trip in a cage could be. He really couldn't wait until the baby was born and Fiona could ride with him again. Fiona was smiling and singing along, loudly and off key, to a random song on the radio, which made him grin like an idiot. Anytime she was happy, he was happy. Her humor improved even more when, halfway through the trip, Kerrianne called to apologize for being rude.

They arrived at the cabin a couple of hours later. He had sent the Prospects this morning to thoroughly clean and stock the place. It looked amazing, and he could tell that they had done a great job. The floor had been swept and apparently mopped, there was not a speck of dust to be seen, the windows had been cleaned, there were fresh sheets on the bed, and there was even a small vase of flowers sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. Filip supposed he would have to break down and thank them, later. He carried in their bags, while Fiona looked around.

When he came back from the bedroom, Fiona was holding one of the flowers from the vase up to her nose. She was standing next to the big window overlooking the lake. Filip stared at her for a moment, marveling at his beautiful, pregnant wife. She was every bit as radiant now as she had been twenty three years ago, on their wedding day. Fiona turned and caught him staring, which he took as his opportunity to go kiss her soundly before wrapping his arms around her and just holding her close.

It was dark out now, but there was a full moon heavy over the water and stars dotted the inky blue sky. It was truly a gorgeous night.

"You're the best husband there is, you know that, don't you?" she asked, leaning back against him.

"Only for you, Darlin," he smiled.

"Damn right," she said, turning to kiss him passionately. He lost himself in the kiss, and right then, it didn't matter if the cabin was a little bit cold, or his daughter might have gotten in trouble at school, or that Gemma might kill him for forgetting to correctly file his paperwork, or whether or not Fiona would like the present that was tucked safely away inside of his bag. All that really mattered to him at this moment was the woman in his arms, who he loved more than life itself.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hi guys! This is a little bit of a long one. I made up some history here, but I kind of love the chapter, and I hope that you do as well. Thank you so much for reading and please review if you have time! It would mean a lot!**

Filip awoke the next morning to bright rays of sunshine streaming through the window. Fiona's back was curled against him and her hair was tickling his nose, in a very appealing way. His unborn child was actively moving against the hand resting on her stomach. The bed they were in was pleasant and warm, despite their complete lack of clothing. It was a damned good morning.

As if on cue, Fiona's eyes opened. He felt her stretch against his body, providing some welcome friction against some very specific parts of him. He pushed those thoughts aside as she turned in his arms to face him, knowing that he would get the chance to deal with them later in some very pleasing ways.

"Good morning, Love," she whispered, sleep still evident in her eyes.

"Good morning, Fi," he murmured, kissing her softly. "Happy anniversary."

A smile lit up her face. "Is it our anniversary? I must have forgotten!" she said slyly. She kissed him in return, not as softly, while her fingers threaded through his hair. "Happy anniversary to you, as well Filip. Can you believe that it has been 23 years?"

"Not really, no. But at the same time, yes," he replied. "It has probably been the most unique marriage of anybody I know. These twenty three years have been well earned."

"Aye, I'll say," she said. "But still, here we are. I wouldn't rather be anyplace else."

"Me either," he agreed.

They lay together, their heads sharing a pillow, just soaking each other in. They shared the occasional kiss, but mostly, they just lay there. The room was bright and glowing. Fiona's hands stroked his hair in the most erotic, yet relaxing way. Filip's hands trailed the soft skin of her sides and her belly; he had yet to get over how soft she was. Between them, the baby moved around, almost as if the tiny soul could sense the happiness in the room.

"I got you something, you know," he said, pulling her from her thoughts.

"No, you can't have!" she exclaimed.

"I can and did," came his reply. He wasn't sure why, but he was getting a little bit nervous. He wanted more than anything for her to like the gift he had chosen. "Do you want it now, or would you rather have it later?"

Her gorgeous brown eyes, veiled in softness, just looked at him. She couldn't believe all of the hard work and thought he had put in to this weekend. "Well, now I think, because I really want to know what it is!"

He grinned and kissed her quickly, before rolling over to dig in his bag next to the bed. He was sure he was giving her a lovely view of his ass, but he was also sure that she didn't really mind. At last, he found what he was looking for, and taking a deep breath, took the small box in his hand and rolled back over. He sat up next to her, and was suddenly stricken with uncertainty. Was this really something he was supposed to do while they were naked? He didn't know, but at this point, there was no choice.

He carefully set the small, black box on top of her stomach, and sat back just a bit. "Here," he said softly.

The box was tiny and unimposing. It was covered in fine velvet. Clearly, it was a jewelry box; that much she knew. What she didn't know, however, was what could possibly be inside of it. "Filip, what's this?" she asked, finally looking away from the box and up into his eyes.

"Open it and see," he said, simply.

Fiona took the box in her hand, and ever so carefully raised the lid. Tucked inside, nestled ever so snugly inside the velvet, was probably the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It was made of two strands of pale white gold, woven one over the other. Inlaid within one of the strands were countless tiny, shiny pieces of diamond. Within the other, there were four tiny stones and she knew instantly that they represented Kerrianne's birthstone, and his as well. She looked and also spotted her own, and what would be the baby's. It was…amazing. She took a deep breath, but her air caught in her throat when she tried to exhale. She turned to look at him in wonder.

"I know it's not the same, but I knew you didn't have a wedding ring anymore, and I don't know, I thought that you should…have one," he said with a small shrug.

He finally looked up at her and allowed their eyes to meet. He gave her a tentative smile and half shrugged, and she was just blown away by him. She knew that he would blush and roll his eyes if she said this aloud, but he was truly the sweetest, most considerate man that had ever existed, and she was lucky to count him as hers. She knew that he was waiting for a response, so she willed herself to find her voice.

"Oh, Filip," she breathed. She was crying, and she was positive that tears were not an attractive look for her, but she didn't care that much. She placed a hand on his cheek. "Are you going to put it on me? It doesn't count unless you do it."

He gave a short laugh at that, before nodding. He took the delicate ring from its box, and held her small soft hand in his. With steady fingers, he slid the ring onto her finger, then looked at her and said, with quiet words, "Fiona, I promise to love you forever."

They were the same words that he had said twenty three years ago. Somehow, they meant more now. Back then, the promise had been full of hope and possibility. Neither of them had known what life would hold for them. Now, there was history to back them; real, tangible proof that he meant what he said. She had believed him then, and she believed him now. The ring sitting on her finger was a promise, and she knew that it wouldn't come off so easily this time. She would wear this one for forever.

He sealed his promise with a kiss. He held her in his arms for a long time, just content to be a part of her life, a part of her. He wasn't sure, but he thought that being here with her right now was pretty close to what heaven would probably be like, if he ever got there. His wife was perfect and happy, lying in his arms. His family was safe, and more than that, here with him, every day.

"I still have it, you know," she spoke, pulling him from his thoughts. "My first wedding ring."

"You do?" he asked, surprised that she hadn't said something, hadn't worn it again.

"Yes," she said, and touched a small charm sitting on the chain around her neck. "I kept it on for months after you were gone. I had no idea what was going on, at first, and I kept hoping you would come back, but within six months, Jimmy had kind of taken over, so I took it off. I knew I should get rid of it, but something stopped me. It sat in my jewelry box for more than a year. It took me that long to put everything together, you know? But by that time, when I finally figured out what he had done, it was too late to leave, and besides, I had no idea where you were. Jimmy asked me about it, one day; asked what happened to my ring. I told him that I had gotten rid of it. I knew that I couldn't keep it after that, because if he ever found it…well, it would have been bad. So I took it to a jeweler. He melted it down and made me this charm. I pretended that it was just a new piece of jewelry that I loved, and I wore it every day. It was just a small way to keep you close, I guess."

He fingered the tiny gold charm. It was solid and heart shaped; it looked like any other piece of jewelry and it would hardly be noticeable. He had, of course, noticed it, but had not even thought to ask about it or question what it was.

"I had no idea," Filip said softly.

"That's the point; neither did he," Fiona said with a smile. She was quiet for a moment, taking the opportunity to brush away the pieces of hair that had fallen over his eyes. "What about yours?"

"What?" he asked. Clearly, the question had taken him by surprise.

"Your ring. Whatever happened to it?" she asked. "Am I going to have to buy you a new one, too?"

Filip took a deep breath and let it out slowly, turning over to lay flat on his back. He should have known that this question might come up when he gave her a new ring.

"What? Did you get rid of it? Throw it off a bridge or something? I would understand if you did," she said, pulling him close again and resting her head on his shoulder.

"No, I didn't get rid of it. It was…stolen, I guess," he explained, as cautiously as he could. He hadn't ever intended on telling her this story, hadn't wanted to tell anybody, but now it looked inevitable. Today was supposed to be a happy day, goddamn it. He didn't want to go back to that place, but he really didn't have a choice. When it came down to it, she deserved to know. She sat up, on one elbow, so that she could look at him.

"Tell me," she demanded.

"Jimmy took it," he said, and then waited a minute before looking at her. Her mouth had dropped open and her eyes begged for an explanation. He turned away. He couldn't look at her while he said this. "That night…when I…you know, when he did…what he did. I had finished a job for the IRA, and I ran into him at the bar. Between him and the other guys, they got me pretty drunk. Somewhere in there, they drugged me. When I woke up, I was on the ground and I had no idea where I was. It was cold and dirty and really dark. I found out later that it was an old wood shed out behind the primary school. Anyway, at first, I tried to fight back. It didn't work. There were seven of them, and they were armed. I wasn't. There was really no chance. By the time they were done, I was just lying there, and there was just so much blood. I couldn't really even process that it was my own blood. I thought I was gonna die, and I had no idea why. When they were done doing what they did, he came over. He, well, he did my face himself. With my knife, the one my grandfather gave me. Then he took my ring, and he said, 'You won't be needing this anymore'. Told me he would make sure to take good care of you and 'the kid'. It sounds strange, but I really think that he meant it to be comforting. They left after that. I don't think that he meant me to live, and I probably wouldn't have, except one of the bus boys from the bar had trailed them. I guess his older brother had been a good friend of Alec's, and he recognized me. He saw my SAMBEL ink and ran until he found one of them. They came and found me. Patched me up the best they could, which, trust me, wasn't very well. I remember next to nothing from those days. By the time I regained consciousness, Jimmy had figured out that I was still alive, and I had to get out, and fast. I had nothing, not even any of my own clothes. I wanted to come find you, to get you out with me, but he had put the word out on the street that I was a marked man. It was made clear that if I tried anything, he would hurt you or Kerri. I couldn't move very well on my own, I couldn't even talk. Little Paddy and Liam went to the house while you were gone. Took as much of my stuff as they could, so I would at least have some things, and then they stuffed me on a plane and the next thing I knew, I was in Charming."

He had finished telling all that he was going to tell, and so he stayed quiet. He was surprised to find that he had tears on his face, but it didn't matter, because his tears were far, far outnumbered by hers. She couldn't even begin to fathom how somebody could go through something like that and still be a functioning human being, much less an amazing man and a loving, caring husband and father. There were no words. There was nothing that she could even think to say in response, so she didn't say much at all.

"My boy, my brave, strong boy. I love you so much," she told him as she wiped his tears. "These hard times are behind us now. I promise."

When her lips met his, it wasn't with the goal of erasing old memories. There were some things that could not be erased, some scars that they would carry forever. When she kissed him, all she wanted to do was make sure her husband knew he was loved, and maybe, make some new, happier memories at the same time.


	24. Chapter 24

**Here is chapter 24! I am headed back to work today after 2.5 weeks of no work! Wish me luck! :-)**

**I wish that I could say that Mrs. Grey was my own, but I had a Mrs. Grey for a teacher in high school, and this is her. Enjoy and review, please!**

The rest of their anniversary weekend had gone very well, indeed. It was almost as if, after shedding some light on that specific part of their history, they had gained a new sense of appreciation for one another. Filip hadn't wanted to tell her about what all Jimmy had said and done, had always felt that it was his burden to carry, but now he was glad that he had. As much as he wanted to protect her from all of the pain, he hadn't been doing her any favors. Whatever pain he felt, she felt anyway, because that is how marriage works. It had felt good to let it all out, at last. It was no longer something that he had to carry on his own.

Truthfully, he had been on cloud nine since this past weekend. He and Fiona had come home on Sunday afternoon, and Kerrianne had cooked them a wonderful and completely edible dinner, all by herself. She and Fiona had even managed to be nice to one another, and not make any snide remarks. Nobody even brought up the impending parent teacher conference. They had eaten dinner and played games and had a good family night. Overall, it was probably one of the best weekends he had ever spent.

Now, however, it was Tuesday afternoon, the actual date of the parent teacher conference, and Filip had been battling a strange feeling all day. He was on his way to meet Fiona at the school. Kerrianne was going to meet them there, so they could all sit down and talk with this teacher. He was eager to meet this teacher, and hoped that he could finally get to the bottom of whatever had been going on with Kerrianne. He had, however, been fighting this feeling all day, and the closer he got to the school, the worse it got.

He parked the bike, and looked around, noting that Fiona's car was nowhere to be seen. Figuring she was running late, he headed towards the man office, figuring he would meet up with Kerrianne. As he was walking into the school, he took the opportunity to look around. It really was a pretty nice school his little daughter went to. He didn't pass many students, as it was technically after school hours, but those that he did pass seemed to know exactly who he was. He wasn't wearing his kutte, figuring it would not be essential at a conference with his daughter's teacher, but it really wasn't necessary. The kids he passed looked at him with the same mixture of awe and fear that they looked at all SAMCRO members with.

Filip entered the main office and didn't see his daughter anywhere. Fiona had told her this morning that they were meeting this teacher after school, and that she should wait for them in the office. He sincerely hoped that his daughter was just running a little late. If Fiona showed and Kerrianne wasn't there, there would be hell to pay. He spoke to the secretary for a moment, and she directed him to some chairs to wait for Fiona and the teacher, and hopefully Kerrianne as well. While he waited, he took out his phone and sent his lovely daughter a quick text, saying _"Where are you?"_

He was sitting, rather uncomfortably, in the chairs, waiting for either his wife or his daughter to show up. He just hoped that Kerri showed before Fiona did. It was amazing that, even at age 45, he still felt like he was in trouble sitting outside of the dean's office. He hoped one or both of his girls showed, and soon. He had a feeling that, if left to his own devices for too much longer, he actually would end up in some sort of trouble. As if she was reading his mind, Fiona walked in. He immediately stood up, and when she managed to make her way over, he helped her sit down.

"I can sit down on my own, you know Filip," she reminded him, with a gentle smile.

"I am well aware, I just thought I would help when I can," he replied with a smile of his own. "How are you and the wee one today?"

"We're fine. I am exhausted and utterly sick of being pregnant, and she is very, very active," Fiona told him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Ah, so it's a girl today?" he asked.

"That's what I'm thinking, at least for right now," she smiled. "Speaking of girls, where is our daughter?"

He shifted uncomfortably. It was never any use trying to hide things from Fiona. "I have no idea. Maybe she is waiting with the teacher."

At that, Fiona sat up. "She had better be. She knew about this meeting, and I told her to be here. There is absolutely no reason for her to not be."

Filip nodded in agreement, taking out his phone and checking. Of course, Kerrianne hadn't replied to his text. While Fiona was glaring at the clock, he took a quick moment to text her again. "_Seriously Kerrianne, where are you? It had better be someplace at this school."_

Unfortunately, she had run out of time. They teacher they were meeting, a Mrs. Grey, came to collect them right then. They followed the teacher to her office. She was a tall, severe looking woman with her grey hair pulled up into a bun, and glasses sitting low on her nose. Filip was a grown man, who was considered by many to be rather intimidating himself. Here he was, sitting in the office of a sixty something year old English teacher, and he was feeling at least a little bit intimidated.

She spent the first few minutes asking questions about Kerrianne, her school history, and her home life. Filip sat quietly and allowed Fiona to answer these questions, as she was by far the one with the most knowledge in these subjects. Mrs. Grey spent the next ten minutes or so talking about Kerrianne. She said that their girl was beyond smart and put a lot of thought and effort into her work. Mrs. Grey told them that Kerrianne was very respectful and gave thought provoking answers to any and all questions posed to her. She told them that they ought to be very proud of the daughter they had raised.

Filip instantly felt guilty. He had come here expecting to hear the worst, and he knew that Fiona was of the same mind. This teacher was nothing but complimentary regarding their daughter. He was beyond proud of his girl, and was glad to hear that the teacher had some very positive things to say about her. Just as he was beginning to think of ways in which he could make this up to Kerrianne, the other shoe dropped.

"My biggest concern is less about Kerrianne and more about the people she chooses to surround herself with," said Mrs. Grey. "I know that this is her first year at the school, and it can take some time to adjust. I fully expected some trouble with making friends, but this has not been the case. Frankly, I have found the exact opposite. She made friends very quickly and very easily. In my opinion, she made the wrong friends."

"What exactly do you mean?" Filip was quick to speak up.

"Mr. Telford, you may not know me, but I know exactly who you are. I am a teacher, and you are, among other things, a mechanic. This is the way it is. However, most of the kids at this school, well, they are not children of mechanics and teachers. They are spoiled little children with too much money in their pockets, and too much time on their hands. They are young and ruthless and make stupid choices. These are the people your daughter spends most of her waking hours with. Friendships are not bad, but unhealthy friendships with unhealthy people are bad, especially when these friends also skip class about 25% of the time and get in locker room fist fights over boys named Lil' Stoner," Mrs. Grey said, as kindly as she possibly could.

By this time, Filip was squeezing Fiona's hand so hard that he was concerned that he might be hurting her. He took a deep breath before asking, "A boy named what?"

"I have no idea what his actual name is, but he goes by Lil' Stoner. He is our trusty drug dealer. He is very popular with all of the kids," she said, with a tight smile. "I called you both here for a conference because Kerrianne is better than that. She is to goo and too smart to get dragged down by these kids. And believe me, she is getting dragged down. She has been absent from my class alone 21 times so far this year. I haven't reported it, and I don't intend to, because if I did, she would lose her scholarship in a heartbeat. That's not what I want. I wanted to let you know what was happening, because I had a feeling that she wasn't keeping you up to speed. I hope that we can work together to help Kerrianne realize her potential."

Luckily, Fiona was there and was able to thank Mrs. Grey and politely end the conference, assuring the teacher that the matter would be handled. Filip waited for Fiona outside the classroom, trying to maintain his calm. It was not easy. His kid had been lying to him, getting in with people that she knew damn well she shouldn't be, skipping class on a regular basis, and possibly buying drugs from some boy with a stupider name than Juice. In this sort of situation, calm was not his first instinct. His resolve was tested even further when he noticed that Kerrianne had finally texted him back. All it said was "_Sorry Da."_

Fiona joined him outside of the classroom, and neither of them spoke a word to one another until they had walked completely out of the school and to the parking lot where Fiona's car was parked next to his bike. Then, and only then, did Fiona turn to him and say, with a grim look on her face, "What are we going to do?"

He inhaled, and then let it out slowly before answering, "You go home. Check and see if she is there, but I've got to tell you that I don't think she will be. If she isn't, call Elliot and Karen and see if she is there with Tristen. If not, tell them to get to the house, as soon as possible."

"Where are you going?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"I am going to round up reinforcements. I will go by the garage and then meet you at the house," he said, before climbing onto his bike. Fiona nodded once at him, and he watched as she got in the car and left. He cranked the engine to life and sped out of the parking lot, vowing that by the time tonight was over, he would know 100% of the truth.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25...oh, teenagers! Hope that you enjoy, and please review!**

Several hours later, things had gotten absolutely no better. It was nearing 11:00 pm, and the living room was crowded with people. Opie, Kozik, Piney, and the Prospects were all there, as were Tara and Gemma. Elliot and Karen had come after discovering that Tristen was not, in fact, at the Telford house where she told her parents she would be. Uncer was also there, and had called in any and all old contacts he had in an effort to help find the girls. Now, they were all playing the waiting games.

Every seat in the house was filled, but it was oddly quiet. Nobody was really talking, mostly because all subjects of conversation had been exhausted. By this point, they were all waiting for news. Fiona was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands, trying to keep herself calm. Tara had warned her, very gently, that at this point in her pregnancy, stress was not at all good for her or the baby. Filip was pacing, back and forth, across the living room. Just about every two minutes, he would check his phone, as if he was hoping Kerrianne had magically decided to text him or call him.

They hadn't heard a single word from Kerrianne, or Tristen, for that matter, since her text that afternoon. Filip had tried calling her about every ten minutes, but she hadn't answered. Eventually he supposed that she got tired of listening to the phone ring, because his calls then went straight to voicemail, indicating that she had turned the phone completely off. She had to know that, after talking to her teacher that afternoon, she would be in some pretty deep shit. He figured that she was just avoiding dealing with that shit for as long as she possibly could. If he was honest with himself, he was a little bit glad that she wasn't here right now, because he had absolutely no idea what he would say to her, nor how he would control himself if she was.

Opie had, fortunately, taken the initiative to inform every single trusted contact that the Club had that his girl was gone. Alvarez was having his guys keep an eye out, and the Grim Bastards and the Niners were on notice as well. He hoped to God that his Kerrianne had not done anything stupid enough to become involved in anything that would draw the attention of their contemporaries. They had done whatever was needed to get the name of this high school dealer out to the crews, and hopefully they would get a call with more information on that sooner, rather than later.

He wished more than anything that the rest of the guys weren't in prison. He was confident that, had Juice been here, he would have hacked into her computer, or traced her cell phone, or done some other kind of technological magic to locate her. Fiona had tried for a while to guess what Kerrianne's password might be, before giving up and nearly throwing the computer across the room. This prompted Tara's first comment about stress and pregnancy. If the other guys were here, they would have had a plan, they would be doing something. Filip felt like they should be out looking for her, but in reality, he was all too well aware that they really had no idea where to even begin to look.

Elliot and Karen had done what they could to contact some of the other parents at the school, but apparently, to most of them, it was not a major concern for them to have absolutely no idea where their kids were. He really didn't understand. All he wanted right now, more than anything, was for his daughter to be safe at home so that he could yell at her and hug her, probably at the same time. It was difficult for him to imagine that other parents were not nearly as concerned about this as he was. He was, in fact, relatively certain that once Kerrianne did actually come home, he would never allow her to leave again.

Unfortunately, Kerrianne wasn't his only concern at the moment. Fiona was also giving him more than enough reason to worry about her as well. It wasn't that she was going mad or crying or yelling. Actually, it was the exact opposite. She just had a steely, cold look on her face. She hadn't spoken more than a handful of words to anybody since they had gotten here, choosing instead to focus on doing whatever needed to be done to find Kerrianne. That was what he had expected her to do. The strange part was the fact that she wouldn't look at him, or anybody. There were no comforting gestures, no 'we're in this together' looks, no hand holding, no light touches to keep him grounded. She had all but retreated into herself, and it scared the hell out of him. Fiona was his rock, and without her, he was pretty much free falling.

Filip was contemplating going over to her, talking to her, holding her, hugging her, or just doing whatever he needed to do to get her to just fucking look at him, when a phone rang. A quick look around the room told him that it was Opie phone. He stood, frozen, as Opie answered it and listened in frustration to the one sided conversation. Opie caught his eye and gave a quick nod and thumbs up in his direction, letting him know that he had some information. Filip let out a breath that he hadn't even been aware he was holding, and listened, unable to get much of anything from Opie's side of the conversation. He wasn't sure how or when it happened, but he found himself standing next to Fiona's seat on the couch. He knew without even looking that she was staring intently at Opie also, waiting to hear the end result of the conversation. He breathed even easier when he felt her hand slide into his and he squeezed lightly, letting her know without words that it was going to be okay.

Opie hung up the phone before looking at Filip and speaking, "That was the Bastards VP. They have a lead and think that know where the little junior drug dealer might be. There is a house party up near Lodi. Said that they scoped out a group of kids around Kerri's age wearing some school uniforms. I've got the address."

"Let's go," was all Filip said. Most of the guys made for the door, and Filip was right along with them, until Fiona's hand, still holding his, stopped him.

"Go find Kerrianne and you bring her here. Bring her to me, Filip," was all she said.

He nodded once, and at the very last minute, leaned in to kiss her on the forehead, before following Opie out. Kozik, Miles, and the rest of the Prospects met them at the bikes. Opie nodded at them all before speaking, "Listen, the three of us will go in. I want you guys to hang back unless we call for you. As far as we know, it's just a bunch of stupid kids at a house party. There may be a complication," Opie said, turning to look at Filip. "This Lil Stoner kid. He has some Niner ties. We have to be delicate when handling this."

"I don't want anything from them except my kid. As long as they don't stand in the way of that, there will be no problems," Filip told them, climbing on his bike.

"And if they do stand in the way?" Opie asked, not really excited to hear whatever answer Chibs would come up with.

"Then God help them," Filip said, cranking his bike, indicating to them all that he was done talking and ready to go.

Within a half hour, Filip, Opie, and Kozik rode up to the address. There was most definitely a party happening inside. Part of Filip hoped that his little girl wasn't inside a party that looked too wild, even for him, but deep down, he knew that she was there. There were four Grim Bastards, and Filip was surprised to see Laroy and a few of his henchmen as well. He reminded himself to stay as cool and collected as humanly possible, but he really wanted to get in there and find his kid.

They exchanged pleasantries, before Laroy spoke up, "I hear that SAMCRO has some business at this party."

"My kid," Filip said. "She's in there."

"Listen, man, I get it. I am pretty sure that my little brother is in there too, so we can't go in guns blazing. There can't be blood here," Laroy demanded.

"All I want," Filip spoke through clenched teeth, "is my daughter. The rest _will_ get worked out later. I just want to take my girl home."

All it took was a single nod from everybody there, and they made their way into the house. The music was outrageously loud, and it was nearly impossible to hear. When the screams of teenage girls, shocked to see several grown men in colors barge in, were added, it made thinking very, very difficult. Filip's eyes tried to scan the faces of every kid he saw. The amount of alcohol present made SAMCRO parties look tame in comparison, and he was almost sure he was getting a contact high.

He and the other men were looking for a familiar face, but there were just so many kids. He was beginning to think that they would never find her, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a face he recognized.

"Tristen! Tristen Oswald, don't move," he yelled, loud enough for her to freeze in place. He marched over to where the Oswald girl was standing, red plastic cup in hand, wearing what he hoped to God was not a school uniform. He didn't bother to lecture her about any of that. It wasn't her he was here for. He grabbed her by the arm, away from the shaggy haired boy she was with.

"Where is Kerrianne?" was the first and only thing to leave his mouth.

"I…listen…I just…we were…" the girl stammered. He stopped her with a look.

"Where. Is. Kerrianne?" he asked again.

"The last time I saw her, she was upstairs," Tristen whispered.

Filip shoved the girl at Kozik. He felt almost like he was in a dream. He didn't recall walking past everybody. He didn't remember making his way up the stairs and checking the face of each and every person he passed. All he vividly remembered was opening the door to the first bedroom and finding his daughter, his baby girl, in bed, shirtless, with a boy. Later, he would be glad that Opie had been there to stop him from going with his gut reaction, which was to kill the boy in question. Opie held him back, at least long enough for Filip to take a deep breath and clear his head. He looked over and met the eyes of his daughter.

"Da…" Kerrianne started, looking absolutely shattered at the position she had found herself in.

"Kerrianne, put your shirt on. We're going home," he managed to get out. He turned to look at the boy, who couldn't have been older than 16 or 17. "You. Look at my face. Remember what it looks like. If you ever come anywhere near my daughter again, if you ever even think about her again, my face will be the very last thing you ever see in this life. Do you understand me, boy?"

The kid nodded frantically, clearly terrified, before running out of the room. Kerrianne was crying hysterically at this point, and for the first time in her entire life, the tears did absolutely nothing to him. He waited until she was completely and fully dressed. Finally, she turned and, with a deep breath, looked up at him. It took him roughly half a second to pull her into his arms and hug her, probably tighter than he had ever hugged her in her life. He was beyond furious at her and the stupid, childish decisions she had made, but that in no way meant that he didn't love her more than life itself, that he wasn't thanking God for his baby girl being safe.

After a moment, he kissed the top of her head and said, "Let's go, Kerrianne."

She nodded and picked up her bag from the floor, before following Filip and Opie out of the room, down the stairs, past where Laroy was screaming at some kid, out the front door, and over to the bikes. Filip looked to make sure that Kozik had Tristen before turning and handing his helmet to Kerri. She took it from him, before looking up and saying, "Da, I'm…"

"Yeah, I know," he cut her off. "Let's just get you home. Your Ma has been frantic."

She climbed on the bike behind him as he cranked it to life. He pulled out in line behind Opie, both anticipating and dreading being home again. He knew that there was a conversation, probably a very heated one, that was going to take place between himself, his wife, and his daughter. Before the night was over, he would get to the bottom of whatever the hell was going on with Kerrianne.


	26. Chapter 26

**Here is chapter 26! I hope you enjoy this chapter...it is a tough one! Fiona's reaction is definitely a strong one! Enjoy and please review!**

They arrived home several minutes later. Filip could feel how nervous and flat out terrified Kerrianne was, just from the way she clung to his shoulders and took the deepest breath he had ever heard her take before climbing off the bike and handing the helmet back. She was looking at him, as if asking whether or not she really had to go in the house and face her Ma. He nodded at her once, telling her that there was no way around it. She looked at him grimly, her lower lip trembling, before she took a sharp breath and turned to walk inside. He followed her inside, not feeling even the smallest amount of pity for her, after what she had put him and her mother through tonight.

He walked inside just after his daughter and shut the door. Fiona stared, for just a moment, at Kerrianne. Nobody moved, nobody said anything. Then, surprisingly quickly for a heavily pregnant woman, Fiona stood, crossed the room, and slapped Kerrianne directly across the face, before pulling the stunned girl into her arms and hugging her for all she was worth. Filip could relate; he really could. Part of him had wanted to smack the life out of Kerrianne as well, but he had vowed a long time ago that he wouldn't ever lay a hand on his children. He hoped that Kerrianne was okay, and he hoped that, later, once things had settled, Fiona wouldn't be too hard on herself.

There were other people here, but it was as if they didn't exist. Gemma and Tara were in the kitchen, well within hearing range, but that didn't really matter. Piney and Uncer got up and left to join the others in the kitchen. He supposed that Opie and Kozik were ensuring that Tristen got home with her parents, but they would come in through the side door. Though he knew that the people in the kitchen would be hanging on, listening to every word that was said, the family wouldn't be disturbed here in the living room.

Fiona held on to their daughter for a long time. They were both crying, Fiona in anger and relief that their daughter was finally home, Kerrianne in relief that her mother still loved her enough to hug her, as well as abject terror at the anger that she was bound to face. Filip was just kind of hanging around, biding his time, allowing the two women time. He had no idea what he was supposed to be doing right now, so he really wasn't doing anything at all, except sitting in the comfy armchair staring at his girls.

Eventually, they broke apart and Fiona went and sat on the couch, and buried her head in her hands, taking several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. Filip really thought that being pregnant was probably hard enough without having to worry about your missing teenage daughter. Filip really felt guilty that Fiona was going through this. He had known that something was going on with Kerrianne. He should have tried harder, he should have confronted her. That was his failure, and he was one hundred percent aware of that. This was at least partially his fault.

Kerrianne was standing, leaning against the wall. She wouldn't be able to sit through this. She was very much like her father; she couldn't sit still, not when all eyes were on her and she was going to be held accountable for all of the bad choices she had made. This, she would stand for. She couldn't even begin to think of how to explain this, how to justify her actions. She would tell the truth; that much she knew. She had been caught, red handed. Throwing herself at the mercy of the court was literally all she had left.

Fiona finally looked up at her daughter, and the look in her eyes was unreadable. Her voice was low and dangerous, when she finally asked, "Where the hell were you, Kerrianne?"

The girl took a deep breath, steeling her reserve, before answering, "I was at a party in Lodi."

"You were at a party in Lodi on a Tuesday night?" Fiona asked.

"Yes," Kerrianne replied.

"What were you doing at a party in Lodi on a Tuesday night?" Fiona asked, her voice becoming a little less calm with each passing second.

"I knew that you and Da were meeting with my teacher today and I knew that she would probably tell you all sorts of things, and I would probably be in a world of trouble. I just panicked. I didn't want to come home and face you guys, so we heard about this party that a bunch of other kids from school were going to, and I talked Tristen into going. It wasn't Tristen't fault. It was my idea to go, not hers," Kerrianne admitted, not able to look at either of her parents.

"I don't care whose fault it was," Filip finally spoke up. "You were both there, you will both deal with whatever set of consequences you are dealt."

Fiona nodded in agreement, before asking, "What exactly do you think your teacher had to say to us today? What could she have possibly said that would have justified you disappearing and putting us through absolute hell tonight, Kerrianne?"

"I don't know, she could probably tell you a lot of thing. That I am friends with the wrong people, that I miss class sometimes, that I don't do my work, that I am a bad kid, that I got in trouble for being in a fight last week, that I was cheating on the test a couple of weeks ago. She probably told you all of that, and I didn't want you to know! I didn't want to deal with you guys knowing. So I didn't go to the meeting and I didn't come home. I went to this party instead," Kerrianne said, very matter of factly.

"All of this shit, Kerrianne. Trust me, there were a couple of new ones in there. Do you have any excuse whatsoever for doing any of this?" Fiona asked.

"No, not really. I just…did it," was all Kerrianne said.

"That's not good enough, Kerrianne! Try a little harder! Think a little bit more! You better come up with some sort of reason for all of this. There has to be a reason for you to have done all of this shit!" Fiona yelled, finally allowing her voice to reflect exactly what she was feeling. "And I am sure that this party you went to was all about cupcakes and birthday gifts, wasn't it?"

"No, it wasn't," Kerrianne admitted.

"Were you drinking?" Fiona asked.

Kerrianne nodded her head.

"Were there drugs?" Fiona asked again.

"Just weed," Kerri replied.

"And you smoked it," Fiona said, not really asking this time. Kerrianne just nodded again.

"Jesus Christ," was all Fiona could say. "How did this happen?"

Nobody said anything for a moment. Filip figured it would be best to get the rest of the truth on the table, so he spoke up, "Kerrianne, tell the rest."

Kerrianne looked at him. She had tears in her eyes and her lower lip was trembling again. She shook her head at her Da, begging him with her eyes not to say anything. It was a plea that she knew wouldn't work. Her suspicion was confirmed when Filip spoke again, "Tell her, or I will Kerri."

Her tears started in earnest. She couldn't do this, couldn't look at her parents and tell them that she had been all set to lose her virginity to a bot, and for no reason other than she like him well enough and didn't want him to do it with somebody else. She had never admitted that to herself, and it was too much. She sank to the floor as the truth set in.

"Filip, what else?" Fiona addressed him.

He took a deep breath, before turning to look at her, "I found her half naked in bed with some kid."

Fiona immediately spun around to look at Kerrianne. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and really needed her daughter to start talking, "Kerrianne? What is going on?"

"I don't know, Ma! I just wanted to be a normal, stupid teenager for once in my life! You want to know why I go to parties and lie to you about it and drink and smoke pot sometimes? Here is your answer: because I am fifteen years old, and I finally can! Boys like me, and I like them, too! I can do all of this shit, and nobody is going to get killed for it! I have spent my whole life doing exactly what you or Jimmy told me to, and guess what? I don't have to anymore! I can do dumb thing if I want, and it doesn't matter! You have a new baby to worry about and Da has you and a motorcycle gang to worry about, and I would never have gotten caught if my stupid teacher could just keep her mouth shut!" Kerrianne ranted.

They sat in silence, their mouths hanging open, as they just stared at their daughter, not believing what she was saying. Fiona couldn't understand exactly where she had gone wrong. Yes, she had made many, many mistakes in her life, but she had always done everything to protect her daughter from those choices. She thought that moving here would be good for them all; she thought that they could be a happy family here. She never, not in a million years, thought that anything like this could happen. Her daughter was clearly going insane if she thought that this kind of thing was acceptable. She couldn't believe that she had gotten away with this so far. She looked at Filip. They should have done better; SHE should have done better. Something in her just snapped. This couldn't happen again.

"Okay," Fiona said, tearing her eyes from her husband and staring at the ground. She tried to cage the fear and panic that she was feeling, to channel it into her resolve. "I can't even begin to tell you exactly how wrong you are, Kerrianne. But here is one thing I can tell you: this will not happen again. And here is how I know that; we are going back to Belfast."

All of the eyes in the room locked on her instantly, she had a feeling that most of the eyes on the next room as well. She stared down Kerrianne, because she couldn't look at Filip.

"What are you talking about, Ma? We aren't going back to Belfast!" Kerrianne screeched.

"Kerrianne, shut your mouth. You don't get a say in this anymore," Fiona said, not giving an inch.

"And what about me, Fiona? Do I get a say in this?" she heard Filip ask, and not quietly. She closed her eyes and steadied herself.

"No, Filip, you don't. Tonight, our daughter ended up drunk and high under some boy at a Tuesday night house party. That wouldn't have happened in Belfast. That shouldn't have happened here! I shouldn't be here playing house, not if it lands Kerrianne in places like that! I thought that we would be safe here. I thought that we would be better off. She could have gotten hurt tonight, Filip. She could have gotten killed! This is my baby, and she is not staying here for even one more minute if things like this happen. I am taking our daughter and I am going back to Belfast. You heard her yourself, none of this would have happened there. Come with us Filip, I want you with us always. You make your choice, but we are going," Fiona insisted.

"No, you aren't! Damnit, Fiona, you can't do this!" he yelled. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was not supposed to happen.

"I can and I will. I have told you this before, there is nothing that I wouldn't do to keep my daughter safe," Fiona said calmly. She couldn't let emotions become involved, she had to be strong.

"She is my daughter, too Fiona!" he shot back at her.

"Then act like her father! This should NOT have happened! Fathers don't let things like this happen. She has been fine her whole life; never even once has she done something like this. Seven months here, and she is a pounding back drinks and smoking pot. This never would have happened in Belfast, and you know it! You can't keep her safe here, so we are going back to Belfast," Fiona told him, her anger and fear in full control now.

"I told you," he spat at her. Anger was burning through him and there was a ringing in his ears that was not allowing him to think clearly. It was as if warning bells were going off in his head, and he was ignoring each and every one of them. "I told you that I thought something was wrong, and you laughed! Don't you dare blame this all on me, Fiona."

"I'm not. This is on me, too. If I hadn't been here caught up with you and this house and this baby, I would have been paying enough attention enough to catch this. That's my fault, but it's done now. I won't let this happen again, Filip. We have to leave," Fiona told him, as adamantly as she could.

"No, you don't have to leave. You're running. I never pegged you for a coward, Fiona. You told me you loved me. You said you would stay," he said to her, the tone of his voice evidence of the betrayal he was feeling.

"I know I did. I know I said that. Come with us, Filip," she asked him. "You can do it if you want to. But we are going."

"You know what? We have been fine. You are running scared. You are looking for an out, because you can't handle this, and you found one. I have done enough for you, Fiona. I have cried and bled and killed for you, and it's not enough. You can go fuck yourself, because I'm done. I may not be able to stop you from leaving, but don't think I won't come for my kids. You aren't taking that from me again," he told her, and then he turned on heel and marched out the door, slamming it hard enough to knock pictures from the wall.

The slamming door, and the engine cranking behind it ultimately broke something in her. It was the last thing she ever expected him to do. Yes, she knew that she deserved everything he had just said, she was well aware of that. She couldn't believe herself, couldn't believe anything that had just happened. She thought that what had happened with her daughter had broken her, but it was nothing, nothing at all, compared to what she felt now. How could she have been so stupid? She couldn't do this, she needed her Filip.

They were no longer alone in the living room. Her eyes were wild, but she could tell that their company from the kitchen had joined them. She knew that all eyes were on her, but she didn't care. The room was spinning, and she didn't how to fix it.

"What did I just do?" she whispered. The next thing she knew, she was falling, and this time, there was nobody there to catch her.


	27. Chapter 27

**Here is chapter 27! The last chapter was a doozy, and I appreciate everybody who read, reviewed, and messaged, especially the lovely Ambrosia Rush, who is awesome in every way. I wanted to get this one up quickly, because I hate when people write a tough ending and then don't update for roughly a thousand years. So anyway, here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy and please take a few seconds and review! Thanks!**

When Fiona opened her eyes again, she was lying flat on her back. There was a cool cloth on her forehead, and about ten pairs of eyes staring down at her. She had no idea what had happened, no idea how long that she had been out, but she knew that her husband wasn't there, and she knew that it was entirely her fault. Without thinking, without even saying a word, she removed the cloth from her head and went to sit up. Tara's hands immediately found her shoulders and pushed her back down to the couch, gently but firmly.

"Fiona, you need to stay lying down. You passed out, your blood pressure is going through the roof, you need to relax," Tara tried to tell her gently.

"No, no I don't. I need to get up," she mumbled, not at all speaking clearly. She would need to work on that. "I need to go find Filip. I sent him away and I need to bring him back! I need him here. I need Filip!"

She had to make them understand. Her Filip, her husband, was out there somewhere, and he thought that she didn't love him. She couldn't lay on a couch and do nothing. She needed to go find him.

"Ma, you need to lie down," Kerri said, stepping forward and sinking to her knees next to the couch. "Da will be okay, you have to worry about the baby."

"Kerri, the things I said to him," Fiona said, her voice breaking. "He is out there, and I don't know where, and he thinks I don't want him. I need him to come back. I need to apologize. I need him to come home, Kerrianne."

"I know, Ma," Kerri said, wrapping her arms around her sobbing mother. There was no calming her, but at least she wasn't fighting to get up anymore. The other eyes in the room were looking at each other, trying to figure out what they should do. Their silence was punctuated by the sobs of a hysterical pregnant woman. One thing was for sure, this was turning out to be one of the most interesting days in SAMCRO history.

"Alright, listen. I'll go find him, I'll bring him back. You just need to calm down," Opie spoke up. "You can't be like this when I bring him back. Take care of yourself and that baby."

Fiona stopped crying almost instantly and looked up at him. She nodded slowly and moved to wipe her eyes. She took a deep breath and said, "You bring him back, Opie. Bring my husband back."

Opie nodded, just once, before turning and walking out. The rest of the guys, as well as Lila, followed him out. Gemma, Tara, and Kerrianne stayed with Fiona. She had calmed down considerably after Opie had promised to bring Filip back, clearly taking his warning very seriously. Tara was currently checking Fiona's blood pressure again, making sure that it was under control. Apparently, it was not healthy have a woman who was eight months pregnant just pass out. Kerrianne was sitting next to her mother, holding her hand and trying to be a good daughter. She knew that they would disagree with her in the end, but she knew that this was all her fault. If sitting by her mother and reassuring her would help to make up for any part of what she had caused, than that is when she would do.

Fiona was surprised when a cup of hot chamomile tea appeared in front of her. She looked up at Gemma, who was actually looking at her with kindness at her. Gemma nodded, encouraging her to take the offered drink. Fiona managed a weak smile before taking the tea, managing to get out a quiet "Thank you."

"It should help to calm you down. Seems like it's been a rough night for you," Gemma said, smiling.

"Something like that," Fiona muttered, nodding at Lila as she walked back in and came to sit down. They were all quiet for a minute as Tara finished taking basic vitals from Fiona, who was sipping her tea and thinking of nothing but awful things.

"Opie will bring him back. You know that, don't you? He said that he would bring Chibs home, and he will," Lila said, surprising them all.

"I know. I know he will find him. I am just worried about what state Filip will be in when he is found," Fiona admitted. "He has a tendency to do very stupid, dangerous things when he is in a state, and if anything happens to him, it's on me. He's got to be okay."

She was starting to get worked up again, so Tara headed her off, saying "He is going to be okay, Fiona. Nothing is going to happen to him. The guys will find him and take care of him."

Fiona nodded, sipping more of her tea, before asking, "What am I going to say to him? The things that I said…it's unforgivable. How do I apologize for that? Everything he has done for us, and I threw it all back in his face. He is going to hate me."

Her tears had started again, but these tears were not uncontrollable and hysterical. These were tears backed by a deep sense of sadness. It was Gemma who headed her off this time. "Honey, you have got to be blind. That boy loves you, and if he could just stop loving you, he probably would have done it a long time ago. The way he looks it you, there is no stopping that. It will take a lot more than some words to keep him away. I've got to say, though, you know how to hit well below the belt."

"Yeah, that comes from a thirty year relationship," Fiona said, not taking any pride whatsoever in what she had said to her husband. "I know how to make it hurt. He could do the same to me, if he wanted to, but he didn't. I did."

"Just say you're sorry, give him a good blow job, and all will be forgiven," Gemma replied, earning a laugh from Tara and Lila, and a look of horror from Kerrianne.

"You shouldn't be giving anybody looks of horror, Kerrianne. Wasn't it you who was all ready to have sex with some boy a couple of hours ago?" Fiona asked, a little sharper than she had intended to.

Kerrianne looked away without answering. She was far from proud of anything she had done lately. She knew that she owed her mother an explanation, but she really didn't know what to say, so she just told the truth, "I don't know. Maybe."

"Why did you do it, Kerrianne? There has got to be a reason," Fiona asked her daughter, squeezing her hand.

"There is this boy. His name is Charlie, and I like him. He is funny and cute and popular and all that stuff, and he likes me," Kerrianne started to explain. "And there is this awful girl who is obsessed with him, and he likes me more than he likes her. She wants him so bad, but he wants me. I just wanted to get it over with, I guess, and if I could do that and get even with this girl for being such an awful bitch at the same time, why not, you know?"

They were all staring at her, looking horrified. None of them could really relate. Was this really how teenage girls thought?

"Jesus Christ," Tara was the first one to speak.

"You can say that again. I mean, I am all for women having power and whatnot, but that is just fucked up, Baby," Gemma said, thanking God that she had ended up with a son and not a daughter.

"Oh Kerrianne, my love, that's not what it's supposed to be like. Not your first time anyway," Fiona said, softly stroking Kerri's hair.

"Well what's it supposed to be like? Am I supposed to wait forever, until I find somebody that I love like you love Da? Because I don't know if that will ever happen! And how am I supposed to know what a first time should be like? You never told me about your first time," Kerrianne said.

Fiona smiled, before answering, "Well, that's because my first time was with your father. I didn't think you'd want to hear about it."

"Was it really?" Tara asked, surprised. She knew that Chibs and Fiona had been together for a long time, but she really had no idea.

Kerrianne was looking at her mother with a look somewhere between horror and awe. For any teenager, the thought of her parents having sex was horrifying. At the same time, Kerrianne couldn't help but admire the fact that her mother and father had stared together so long ago and were still somehow together. She wished for that someday, though hopefully a slightly less complicated version of that.

"Yeah, it really was. I met him when I was fourteen years old," Fiona explained, excited to finally be sharing these memories with her daughter. "I got called down to the dean's office during third period. It was algebra class, and I can somehow remember that we were learning about the absolute value function. Anyway, I had heard that there had been this massive fight, and I even remember joking about it with one of my girlfriends, because this boy that I absolutely hated, Matt Fraiser, had gotten the shit beaten out of him. He had been messing with me just that morning, and he ended up needing stitches by lunchtime. I guess I thought that it was cosmic justice. Still, I had no idea what they could want with me, and I was a little bit terrified. So I went down to the office, and the secretary just looked at me over the top of her glasses and pointed to these chairs outside of the dean's office. There were two chairs, and one was already occupied by this black haired mess."

"Da?" Kerrianne guessed, with a smile.

"Da. He was slouched down in the chair with his arms crossed over his chest. He had a cut over his eye, and if looks could kill, I swear there would have been a very, very dead pair of shoes on his feet. He looked like trouble, so of course I went and sat right next to him, and it was kind of like sitting next to a wild animal. He could have attacked at any moment. As furious as he was, when I walked by him to sit down, he immediately snapped out of it and sat up, so that he would trip me. I took that to mean that maybe he wasn't as terrifying as he looked. We were just sitting there, with him brooding and me fretting, and you know how I am, a nervous talker, so I asked him if he was the one who had been fighting with Matt. He told me that he was, and that voice of his. He had that Scottish voice which, in a school of run of the mill Irish kids, made him very special indeed. Anyway, I explained that he had done the world a favor, because Matt was awful. Then a miracle happened, and he actually cracked a smile. It was like the sun coming out. There he was, this tall, lanky kid with a mess of black hair everywhere and blood running down his face, but that smile flashed and I was smitten. I dug out a hankie, to sop up the blood, and it was pretty much the beginning of all of this," Fiona explained. "By the time I was fifteen, I knew that I would love him forever. It's always been him. There was that ten year break, but other than that, it's just been him. I've loved him for most of my life. And no, you aren't necessarily supposed to wait for that, but you are at least supposed to love the boy, Kerrianne. It shouldn't be something you do just to get it over with."

"I know. I really know that. I just…I don't know, Ma. Everybody else is doing it, and I didn't see a good reason to wait, I guess," Kerrianne said with a shrug. "How old were you?"

Fiona smiled, knowing that her husband would not exactly be thrilled with her telling their daughter this. "I was your age, Love."

"You were fifteen? Really?" Kerrianne asked.

"Yes. But remember, I was fifteen and in love with the boy who would eventually be my husband and the father of my children. I could have waited, but there was no reason to. I had my guy," Fiona said, smiling at the memory. "You haven't been privy to all of that history, Love. And you should have been. I should have told you all about it, and that's my fault, and I will tell you whatever you want to know. But I am your Ma, and you have to talk to me about things like this Kerrianne. You made a stupid choice, and you are damned lucky that your Da got there and stopped you when he did."

"Yeah, I know," Kerrianne said, a small smile settling on her face. "I guess I have quiet the legacy to live up to, don't I?"

"Well, before you start holding yourself up to any standards, why don't we wait and see if your Da comes back, or if I really have fucked this up once and for all," Fiona told her, only half joking.

"I am so sorry, for all of this. He's going to come back, Ma. I know he is. He loves us too much to stay away," Kerrianne said, laying her head on her mother's shoulder.

"I hope so, Baby. I really do," Fiona whispered.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hi guys! Here is chapter 28! Thanks for taking the time to read! Enjoy and please review!**

Filip was riding at roughly 90 miles per hour, with no particular destination or goal in mind. He could lay down his bike right now, and it really wouldn't have mattered that much to him. He could stop at any one of these bars he was passing and probably start one hell of a fight, maybe get knocked around a little. He could think of at least four places he could go to pick up a girl who would quite happily fuck his brains out. With the frame of mind he was in, he really didn't know what was preferable.

What he wanted, more than anything, was to stop thinking and stop feeling anything at all. The things that he was feeling right now were indescribable. He really had no idea what he was feeling, overall. It was as if he had lost the ability to identify separate emotion. There were literally no words to describe the state of his emotional well-being, and he wouldn't even try. His thoughts were full of blackness. The things that he was thinking were dangerous, vile things; things that were he in his right mind, he would never admit to thinking.

He hated this. He hated thinking these things. He hated feeling how he was feeling. He had spent the past year or so completely and totally happy. Things had been absolutely wonderful, yet here he was again, stuck somewhere between absolutely miserable and hopelessly lost. He would give anything to just be able to rewind a few days, back to the past weekend when he had held his wife and told her things that he had kept inside for years and years, and then made love until they were both too exhausted to do anything but fall asleep together. They had been so goddamned happy, and now, a few days later, his world was falling apart. Again.

Filip was not sure how he made it, other than by riding like an insane man, but he somehow ended up at the club house. It was relatively empty; he supposed that was because it was after 2 in the morning and all of the guys were still at his house. A couple of the mechanics were here, as well as a few of the hang arounds and the ever present crow eaters. There had been an influx of loose women arriving on a daily basis, since the rest of the guys were due to be released in just over a week. It was fine with him, he wasn't really concerned about who was here.

Filip stomped though the door, ignoring the calls and greetings and surprised sounds of various sex acts interrupted. He went straight to the bar and grabbed his glass and a bottle of Jameson. It only took him a few seconds to pour a generous portion and down it, before pouring another. He was on his third before somebody, he didn't even know who, came and put a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly and felt his knuckles split across the guys face. He looked down at the twenty something kid on the floor groaning in pain, and felt lucky that it had been a guy he had hit, and not one of the half-naked women. He turned and threw his glass as hard as he could at the wall, the bottle of Jameson following quickly behind it.

"Jesus Christ," he screamed, not even sure what he was referring to or who was listening.

A bleached blonde crow eater with huge tits approached him cautiously from the left. She smelled overwhelmingly of vanilla, nicotine, and pussy. She laid a hand on his arm, saying, "Looks like you could use some company, Darling. You seem tense."

He turned to look down at her, not sure if he wanted to hit her or fuck her. He opened his mouth to answer, having no idea what he was going to say, when somebody beat him to it.

"Think again. Get lost," came Opie's voice from just behind him. Filip didn't know if he was relieved, or pissed. The angry, enraged, bitter part of him was pissed. That part of him would like nothing more than to take his revenge by fucking some nameless, faceless girl. But there was another part of him, a bigger, stronger part, that was just a heartbroken husband and father, who was glad that Opie had just stopped him from making what would probably end up being a huge mistake.

He stood by while Opie helped Dickie up off the floor and sent him on his way with a few hundred bucks. He felt a bit bad and would probably end up apologizing to the mechanic later, but right now, that was the least of his concerns. Opie nodded to the other guys before telling the Prospect to get him another bottle of whiskey and something to drink it out of. He looked at the broken glass all over the floor, before tacking on, "Make his cup plastic."

Opie managed to gather the cups and whiskey and corral Filip into the chapel. Filip sunk into his chair, feeling more than exhausted, but he knew that sleep was about a million miles away. Opie shut the doors and took a seat across from him. He poured a generous portion of whiskey into each glass and slid it across to Filip, who nodded his thanks before downing it and sliding the glass right back. Opie raised his eyebrows before refilling the glass and then sticking his head out the door and yelling at one of the Prospects to make them some coffee.

Opie picked up his own glass at last, and drank it, albeit more slowly than Filip had. He slammed his glass down, and looked at his friend, "So, it's been quite the day for you."

"That's one way of putting it," Filip replied. His eyes had fixed themselves on a slight imperfection on the redwood table. It gave him something to focus on.

"Want to talk about it?" Opie asked.

Filip sighed. "Not really. Is there anything left to discuss?"

Opie raised his eyebrows, "Well. I could probably suggest a few things."

"Do you mean the fact that my fifteen year old daughter was at a party that would make even Jax stop and think twice? Or maybe the fact that she was in the process of being violated by a kid who might turn up mysteriously dead in the next few days?"

Opie didn't quite manage to stile a chuckle. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Oh, no, that's right, I forgot. I really don't have to worry about that anymore, because since I am such a fucking awful father, they're moving back to war torn Ireland rather than be here with me," he ranted for a minute, trying not to let it show exactly how much those words hurt. He was completely aware that he sounded like a whiny child, but he really didn't give a fuck.

Opie nodded slowly, "Yeah, that was pretty harsh."

Filip just nodded before taking another drink. He wondered how much longer it would be before the alcohol started to take effect. He was roughly six shots in, and he hoped he would feel it soon. He hated that his first instinct always won out; hated that he relied on liquor to soothe whatever pain he happened to be feeling at the time. It was an urge that was born before he was, that dated back to his father and probably even earlier than that. He also hated that his daughter seemed to have inherited the trait as well.

Opie was quiet for a long time, just looking at his friend. Opie really felt for the man. The shit he had gone through in the past day, hell, in the past eleven years, was brutal and not something he would wish on anybody. Just the events of the past night made Opie utterly dread the day that his own daughter became a teenager, but he didn't dwell on it. Thinking of his daughter growing up only made Opie think of his dead wife and his porn star wife-to-be. He wondered for a moment whether tough love or sympathy would work best for his friend right now, before deciding that he really didn't care. Opie owed it to his brother to do whatever was necessary to fix this.

At that moment, the door opened and Filthy Phil came in with a cup of coffee for each of them. He nervously set the coffee on the table in front of the two men before turning and hurrying out of the room, not at all eager to be a part of whatever was about to happen between them.

"Drink up," Opie commanded, nodding at the coffee.

"I don't want any goddamned coffee," Filip gruffly spoke, knowing exactly how childish he was sounding.

"Yeah, I didn't ask if you wanted it or not. Drink it," Opie directed. "I'm not taking you home to your wife and daughter half drunk. And I am taking you home, Chibs."

"She doesn't want me home, Op. You heard her," Filip said, nearly choking on the words.

Opie rolled his eyes, "You know what I heard? I heard a half crazy, super hormonal, pregnant chick who was terrified that her teenage daughter was being a teenage daughter. She didn't mean anything she said."

"How would you know?" Filip asked, wishing he had the energy to sound more angry and less pathetic. "Those things that she said-"

"Were brutal," Opie cut him off. "I know that. You have every right to be angry at her, but you don't turn and walk out on your family. That shit's weak."

"They are walking out on me!" Filip exclaimed.

"Chibs, they aren't going anywhere. Not if you ask them to stay. You hadn't been gone thirty second before Fiona was crying hysterically. Besides, she is, like, ten months pregnant. Nobody in their right mind is going to let her on a plane."

Filip thought on that for a moment. He was hurt and angrier then hell, but Fiona's tears were like his kryptonite. "She was really crying?"

"Yeah. Worked herself up pretty good, too. Passed out. You should probably thank Phil for catching her before she hit the floor," Opie casually mentioned.

Filip was on his feet in an instant, concern etched over his face. "She what? Why didn't you say anything? Is she okay?"

Opie smirked. "She's fine. Tara had her under control. By the time I left, she was wide awake and back to crying hysterically again. I didn't say anything because you told her to go fuck herself. I figured you didn't care."

"She's pregnant with my kid," Filip argued.

"You didn't ask about your kid. You asked about her," Opie pointed out. "Look, stop pretending that you don't care. You are so whipped that you make Jax look like an independent man. You love her. Stop trying to deny it and go fix this."

"I don't know if it can be fixed," Filip admitted quietly.

"Is she dead?" Opie asked.

"What? No," Filip said, confused.

"Well, at the very least, is she a porn star who refuses to quit her banging other dudes for money?" Opie asked.

Filip narrowed his eyes, finally seeing where this conversation was going. "No."

"Then you aren't the one who has it bad, here. I am going to have another drink. You are going to down that coffee, and then I am going to take you home. It's time to man up, go home, and fix this before she does decide to actually leave your ass," Opie said, hoping his friend got the message.

"What if she is right?" Filip blurted out, taking Opie by surprise. Opie raised his eyebrows. "What is she is right about Kerrianne not being safe here? She was right; nothing like this ever happened in Belfast, nor would it, because the IRA would have her back. I should have done a better job looking out for her, Op. I am her father, it's my job to make sure shit like this doesn't happen."

Opie sighed. "First of all, I met Sean Casey. I have seen what the IRA does. Do you really wanting people like that looking out for your daughter?" Filip shook his head. "I didn't think so. Second of all, this happening doesn't mean that you are a bad father; it means that she is really good at being a teenager. At least now you know what is going on, and you can keep an eye on her. The guys will be out next week, and we may not be the IRA, but we protect our own."

Filip managed a short laugh and picked up the coffee cup. He knew that Op was right, knew that it was up to him to fix this. If he was honest with himself, he wanted nothing more than to go home, hug his wife and daughter, apologize, and go to bed for about a week. He knew, deep down, that Fiona hadn't meant most of what she said and she would most likely be easily talked out of leaving. He was still completely furious at her for her words and actions, but Opie was right. He and Fiona could deal with Kerrianne and her actions and all of their anger later; right now, he needed to go home. But first, he knew it would take more than one cup of coffee for him to be in a fit state to ride.

"Prospect!" he yelled. "More coffee!"


	29. Chapter 29

**Hi friends! Here is the next chapter, hopefully something to brighten your Monday! I wanted to take a moment to thank those of you who have been awesome about reviewing. The reviews are much appreciated and make writing much more fun and easier, so triple thank you! Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter! Oh yes, and REVIEW!**

At the house, things had calmed down, at least as much as they could. It was nearing 4 in the morning, but not a single woman was asleep. Lila was texting Mary to check on the kids, Tara was on the couch doing paperwork from the hospital, Gemma and Kerrianne were watching a Lifetime movie, and Fiona, unable to stay still, was washing dishes. Though each one of them was occupied with some task, their hearts simply weren't in it. Lila was worrying about Opie, wondering when he would be back. Tara's mind was with Jax, where it often was these days. He was so close to coming home, and she really couldn't wait. Kerrianne was busy with worry, already working on trying to figure out how she was going to help fix the damage she had done. Gemma was trying to figure out who would cover what at the garage tomorrow, because she had a feeling they would be short quite a few people. Fiona just wanted her husband back.

All of the women were caught up with waiting. It had been more than two hours since Filip had stormed out, Opie and the rest of the guys hot on his trail. Kozik had texted not long after that to let them know that Filip had been found and nobody was dead. There hadn't been a single word since then. They could walk in literally any minute, but at the same time, it could be hours or even days before they returned. When it came to men and working out their feelings, there was literally no telling what could happen. There was nothing to do but wait it out.

Fiona was more than a little bit anxious. She had finally gotten sick of lying around crying about an hour ago. After Tara had checked her blood pressure for about the thousandth time, she was allowed to get up. It wasn't that she was a frantic, nervous cleaner, like her husband was, but it always helped her to keep her hands busy with some task, and doing the dishes allowed for that. Though she may have been standing at the sink, elbow deep in soap suds, her mind was miles away.

She had been hugely relieved to hear that Opie and the guys had caught up with Filip and apparently had him under control. She knew that, with the state he had been in when he left the house, things could have ended very, very badly. At least Opie would look after him. She knew, beyond all sense of logic, that Opie would bring him home. He had promised and he would deliver on that promise. What she didn't know, hadn't quite decided on yet, was what she would say to him when he returned.

She had been brutally vicious with her words. She knew how completely and totally invested Filip was in this relationship; in this family. Years and years ago, she had played a part in keeping his daughter away from him, and just a few hours ago, she had threatened to do it all over again with another child. She knew in her heart that that was his worst fear; losing his family all over again. There were times it had kept him up at night, times when she held him close to her, just to reassure him that she was here. She had taken that fear and shamelessly exploited it. In her panic and fear, she had turned into a monster and threatened to take absolutely everything from the man that she loved.

Threatening to steal his family away from him (again) hadn't even been her lowest blow. No, that shining moment had come the very instant she had implied that perhaps Jimmy had been a better father than he was. Anybody with two brain cells to rub together would have, of course, known that it wasn't true. He was obviously an amazing father. The sheer amount of love that he supplied to his daughter was proof enough for that. Anybody could see how amazing he was, but the fact that her words were obvious lies didn't matter. The very fact that the words had left her mouth, hell, the very fact that the thought entered her mind, was enough of a betrayal to utterly devastate her husband, and she would never be sorry enough for that fact.

Her only excuse, the only reason she could use to justify her behavior, was that she was completely and utterly terrified that she was losing her daughter. The changes in Kerrianne's behavior had completely blindsided her. She expected her girl to act like a teenager, but this was just too much to understand. Filip had been right; he had warned her, and Fiona had brushed it off, had refused to believe that Kerrianne could be keeping anything from her, had changed so much in such a short time. She had been angry at her daughter, angry at herself for not seeing what was going on right in front of her. In her haste to make up for her terrible parenting, she had been eager to find somebody else, literally anybody else, to blame, and Filip had been the nearest and easiest target.

None of this made up for what she had said, of course. Nothing she did could erase what she had said. No, as much as she wished for a magic time machine of some sort, to go back and change her words and attitude, she knew it wouldn't happen. She had to apologize to him, find a way to make him understand that it had been fear and anger talking, not her. The best that she could hope for was forgiveness, which her husband usually had in large supply. The very fact that she was here now was proof enough of that. She just hoped that he had enough left in the reserves to cover this.

She was having trouble trying to figure out how all of these completely jumbled thoughts in her head would come out of her mouth. She was not good with words, never had been. She was all for action, quick with a hug or a kiss or a touch or a squeeze to sooth or comfort. Words just didn't always seem adequate, especially in situations like this, but for him, she would try. She was washing the exact same dish for the third time, still trying to sort it out, still trying to figure out the best thing to say, when the front doorknob turned, jolting all of the women from their thoughts. Fiona's heart leapt to her throat. She had run out of time.

The door swung open slowly as first Filip and then Opie entered the house. As much as he had been through in the past day, Filip looked remarkably unchanged. His eyes immediately locked with Fiona's, and he stood stock still for a moment, just staring at her. The stare was interrupted abruptly when Kerrianne's arms wrapped around his middle. He finally looked away from his wife and down at his daughter long enough to hug her and offer her a small smile, before gently moving her from his path. There were many conversations that he needed to have with his teenage daughter, but right this moment, there was a much more pressing issue that needed addressing.

Fiona's breath caught in her chest when she saw him start to make his way towards her. She felt completely overwhelmed by the emotions racing through her right now, from shock to relief to embarrassment to fear. She felt dizzy at the sight of him, and for a moment, she was afraid she would pass out again. She also wasn't sure when her tears had started again, and she briefly wondered if they had ever really stopped. She turned away from him and gripped the counter, hard, in a desperate attempt to control and calm herself. It really didn't work. By the time he reached her, stopping just inches away, she was crying harder than ever and was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with her. At least the kitchen counter was the only witness to her tears; at least she wasn't looking at him.

Any residual anger or ill will Filip had been holding on to flew directly out the window the instant he saw her shoulders shaking with sobs. It was then that he knew how absolutely right Opie had been when he had insisted that Fiona didn't mean anything she had said to him before. In some ways, it took a huge burden off of his shoulders; he was, at last, certain that she didn't want to leave him and return to Ireland. There would be plenty of time, later, to hash out everything that had happened. Right now, he did the only thing that made sense to him; he reached out and touched her shoulder softly, before sliding his arms around her.

That was all it took. Fiona immediately turned herself around in his arms and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She clung to him for dear life, overwhelmed with the task of trying to breath, hug him, apologize, and stay standing all at one time. She was absolutely sure that most of the words coming out of her mouth were completely unintelligible, but judging from the soothing sounds he was whispering in her ear, the tight grip of his own arms around her, and his lips that couldn't stop pressing themselves against her temple, the message had gotten across.

Filip leaned away from her so that he could rest his forehead against her. "You can't leave me Fiona, okay? You can't leave," he said softly.

"I'm not going one another for a long time, making clear to everybody in the room exactly how stupidly in love with each other they were. It was obvious that they weren't going to be finished anytime soon, so the bystanders made to leave. Kerrianne had almost made it past them, towards her room, when she was stopped by her father and pulled full force into the hug. He couldn't see it, but her smile was bigger than it had any right to be.

Filip heard engines starting just outside, and was very surprised to see that they were alone in the house. Those noises seemed to jolt Fiona and Kerrianne, too.

"I am so glad that you are back, Da, but I thought you were going to yell at me, not hug me," Kerrianne muttered, wiping her eyes with her palms.

"Trust me, Love, that's coming," Filip promised her. "But not tonight. I think enough has happened, tonight. Right now, let's just go to bed, yeah? I think some sleep would do all of us a world of good. We can revisit the issue when we wake."

Kerrianne nodded in agreement, before standing on her toes and kissing her Da's cheek, and then tightly hugging her Ma, whispering something to her that made both women smile. Kerrianne told them both goodnight, before heading off to her own bedroom for the night, eager to fall into a hopefully dreamless sleep.

Her parents waited until she was securely in her room before saying anything else. Filip looked at his wife. If he was honest with himself, she was a complete mess. She had red, swollen eyes and blotchy cheeks. Her hair had pretty much exploded and was completely out of control. He was pretty sure that he must really and truly be in love with her, because in spite of all of these things, he still thought she was beautiful. He dug a relatively clean handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her without saying anything.

She gratefully took it and dried her eyes, silently vowing to herself that she was done crying, for tonight anyway. For the first time in hours and hours, she realized exactly how tired she was. It was unbelievable, really, that she was still on her feet. Being pregnant was really no walk in the park, and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for about 12 hours straight. She couldn't do that, though, until she knew whether or not her husband would be sleeping right next to her.

"Are we okay, Filip?" she asked him, not quite sure of what his answer would be. At the very least, he had come back, and that was good enough for now, but before she went to bed, she wanted to know exactly where they stood.

He sighed, and looked at her, a small smile forming on his face. "Yeah, I think we're fine. There are a lot of thing to be said, but nothing is broken that can't be fixed."

"You want me to sleep on the couch tonight?" she asked, and was surprised to hear him laugh.

"Not even a little bit, Darlin. There is no chance whatsoever that I would make my pregnant wife sleep on the couch, no matter how mad I am," he told her, moving closer and sliding an arm around her. "No, I want you next to me, as close as I can possibly get you. I fucking love you, Fiona."

She came very close to breaking her own resolution to not cry. Instead, she smiled and nodded. "I know. And I love you, Filip. Now take me to bed, please."


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey guys! Here is chapter 30! Not much to say today, except that I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I appreciate any and all reviews! Thanks and have a wonderful day!**

It was midafternoon before Filip awoke. The sun was shining brightly through the window, and he made a mental note to ask Fiona to buy better curtains. Fiona was currently sprawled across the bed, leg thrown over his and he had a face full of elbow. She was usually a very still, very close sleeper. Most nights they spent together, it was him sprawled across the bed, with her curled into his side with her head on his shoulder and her arms possessively around him. This pregnancy seemed to increase her need for space, and most nights, he ended up with some body part invading his space, but he didn't mind much.

This morning, it created a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, he was awake and he really wanted to go check in on Kerrianne and make sure that she was still in her room, where she was supposed to be. He had the feeling that, after last night, he would be randomly checking on Kerrianne much, much more often. But on the other hand, Fiona was sound asleep, and she looked incredibly comfortable, and he doubted that he could move without waking her. He wanted her to rest as much as she could. Last night had been all too stressful for her, and it couldn't happen again, not only for her sake, but for the health a safety of the baby as well.

He was content to just lie there and watch her sleep for a while. She looked completely at ease and totally worry free in her sleep. It was a good look for her. As much as Fiona was always saying that she hoped the baby would have his smile and his eyes, he sort of hoped that, no matter the gender, the baby she was currently growing would look like her. He wasn't one to feel any sort of insecurity about his own looks; he supposed they were okay enough and Fiona seemed to like the way he looked well enough. She was just breathtaking and the wee one would luck out if it inherited the majority of its looks from her side of the gene pool.

Unfortunately, his plan to stay very still and allow her to sleep was foiled by a sneeze. All of his silence and stillness, only to be ruined by a single sneeze. The sun streaming through the window hit his eyes in just such a way that he couldn't help himself. For a moment, he thought that maybe she had miraculously slept through the interruption, but he knew he wasn't that lucky. He watched as one eye slowly crept open, taking him in.

"God bless you, Love," she said, voice still full of sleep.

"Sorry," he said. "I couldn't help it. The sun was in my goddamned eyes."

"It's okay," she said, removing her arm from his face and stretching, her arms reaching towards the head board as her toes tried their very best to reach the foot board. She was trying to work the ever present kinks from her back, knowing that as long as the baby remained in utero, then the kinks would remain as well. Rubbing her hand over her stomach, she felt the wee baby within move, before she turned in bed and laid a hand on his chest. "Good morning, my Filip."

"Ah, I think you mean good afternoon, Darlin," he corrected her and then turned to kiss her forehead. "How are you feeling? Did you get enough rest?"

"I am okay, better than I was last night, anyway. This baby of yours is being very active. Probably eager for me to eat something," she told him. "And you? Are you doing okay?"

"I feel like I could sleep for at least another week," he admitted. "But I won't. Do you want me to go make you something to eat?"

"No, I honesty am not sure if there is any room left in my body for food. This baby takes up pretty much every last bit of room, so no food, thank you very much. Right now I just want you to stay right where you are," she told him.

He smiled, putting his hand over hers. "I can do that. Besides, the sooner we get out of bed, the sooner we have to deal with our daughter, so I am content to stay here as long as you would like."

"Yes, but we will eventually have to deal with her," Fiona remarked. "I think last night scared the hell out of her."

"It scared the hell out of me, too," he said, honestly. He was quiet for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts before he spoke. He was determined that this would not turn into another fight. Finally, he turned and adjusted his body so that he was facing her in bed. "I'm sorry that I left, Fiona. I was mad and I was hurting, but I shouldn't have walked out, and I am sorry for that. I was out of control for a little while, and I am grateful that I didn't hurt myself or somebody else. It isn't going to happen again. You and Kerrianne, and this wee one too, mean everything to me. You guys are my family, and I love you, all of you. I realize that our life here isn't perfect, but I think it has been good, hasn't it?"

"Yes, Love. It's been really, really good. I love being here, being a family again," she told him, gripping his hands in her own.

"I'm glad. What we have here, this is what I've always wanted, but if this is going to work, and I want it to work, Fiona, Belfast can't be an option anymore," he said. He gave her a minute to let that sink in, before continuing, "It can't be something you consider each and every time something goes wrong, and things will go wrong sometimes. I guess I just need to know that every mistake I make, every fight we have, every time something happens, it isn't going to send you running. I can't live with that kind of fear."

Fiona was nodding. She agreed with what he was saying, and knew that she would regret the threat to leave him for many years to come. "I know. I am so sorry for what I said Filip. Please know that it wasn't about leaving you, it wasn't about you at all; it was about making sure Kerrianne was safe. After what Kerri was saying and doing, I guess I just panicked. I never expected her to act like this and I was scared, and you were right, I followed my first instinct, which told me to run back to what was familiar. I am just so used to doing this by myself. Even when I was with Jimmy, I was by myself when it came to raising her. I am just not used to having to think of somebody else's opinions and feelings when it comes to her. I didn't want to admit that she was fucking up and it was my fault, so I just blamed you, because it was easier that way. That's my fault, and I am sorry. We aren't going to leave. Not now, not ever. I love you and she loves you and this tiny one in here loves you. I don't think we work without you, anymore."

"I'm glad. I don't want you to work without me. I want you here," he said, leaning in close and kissing her. No sooner had he done that than he was assaulted by a swift kick from his unborn child. Filip laughed and put his hand over her stomach. "Yes, I was talking about you, too. Now don't kick me, I am trying to kiss your Ma."

She laughed at him. "Kicking you my ass! You should feel it from my side. This wee baby needs to come out soon. I am sick of being pregnant," she complained.

"Aye, I just want to meet the kid, find out if it is a boy or a girl, if it will look like you," he said, knowing that the baby would be coming any day now. He really couldn't wait, but he knew that they needed to get things settled with Kerrianne soon, before there were any tiny, wailing distractions.

"I have honestly given up trying to guess what this baby is. I change my mind every day. But whatever it is, I hope it comes soon. I want my real, non-pregnant body back," she whined. "I am sure you can't wait for that, either. No more working around this beach ball of a stomach every time you want a little affection."

He laughed and shook his head. "I haven't had a problem yet, Love. It would take much more than your stomach to get in my way when I come looking for affection."

She leaned in to kiss him deeply, eager for a little of that affection. It was a few minutes before they were interrupted by the bathroom door slamming shut, followed by the shower starting in Kerrianne's bathroom. She groaned as he ended the kiss, saying "I suppose Kerrianne is awake."

"Aye, that's what it sounds like," Filip agreed, rolling onto his back and mentally reciting the alphabet backwards in an attempt to get rid of his erection. "What are we going to do about her?"

"I'm not sure," Fiona replied. "I think we need to sit her down and give her a chance to explain to us, once and for all, everything that has been going on. I think there are a lot of things happening in her head that are just messed up, Filip, and I want to hear them from her mouth."

"You think that she will tell us the truth?" Filip asked.

"I really do," Fiona told him. "She got a little bit of reality yesterday, and I think she will tell us anything we want to know. I think we ask her and listen to what she has to say, and then we can correct her misconceptions."

"Yeah, okay. But can we at least agree that she is grounded for the rest of forever?" he pleaded.

"Oh, yes," Fiona smiled. "And I think that the cell phone and laptop are gone. Juice can have them when he gets out of prison next, since you have officially commandeered his. We can start out with that. It is going to be a very long time before she earns back the level of trust she has been enjoying recently."

"Would it be unreasonable to tell her she is not allowed to have any friends anymore?" he wondered, completely and totally serious.

"Probably, but she sure as hell won't be spending much time with them, what with her being grounded for forever and all," Fiona smirked.

"Okay, she can have friends that she is not allowed to see, but can we at least demand no boyfriends?" he begged.

"Oh, Love. I think we can for now, but it won't last long. She is growing up, you know," Fiona told him.

"Believe me, I know. I walked in on her growing up, remember?" he dryly remarked. "I am going to find that little bastard and kill him."

"I remember, and please don't kill anybody. But don't worry so much about it. She won't be going out with any boys anytime soon," Fiona assured him.

"She can go to school, she can come right home. Or to the garage, I can put her to work. Maybe I will have one of the boys sit on her at school, too. Do you think that Juice is too old to be enrolled in a Catholic high school?" Filip asked, only half joking.

"Well, Kerrianne is smart enough to get a scholarship, but I doubt that Juice is, and we couldn't afford his tuition," Fiona answered, kissing him on the forehead. "I really need to pee. Go head Kerrianne off before she goes back to bed, okay? Let's get this over with."

"We will have plenty of time to yell at her later. Go take a shower," Filip told her, climbing out of bed. "I think I will buy my girls dinner. This sort of talking shouldn't be done on an empty stomach. Besides, wasn't it you who once recommended having these difficult conversations in public places?"

He kissed her quickly and smiled, glad that things were better between them, before he went to corral his daughter, eager to fix whatever was wrong there, as well.


	31. Chapter 31

**Hi! Here is the next chapter! I hope that you all enjoy...thank you so much for taking a few minutes to read, and please leave a review! Have an amazing day!**

They ended up at a tiny restaurant just outside of town. It was the only place Filip could think of that met the requirements of both of his girls. The served both spaghetti, which was the only thing that Fiona wanted to eat at the moment, and French fries, which Kerrianne was a huge fan of. Filip was just a big fan of both of his girls being happy, so it really didn't matter to him what he ate.

They had settled in at the restaurant and were in the process of figuring out what to order. The waitress had, to her benefit, led them to a table. Filip figured at the point in the pregnancy, booths were pretty much out of the question. Fiona was seated next to him, attempting to stare their daughter down. Kerrianne was seated across from her parents, looking anywhere but at her them. Soon, the waitress came and brought them drinks and took their order, before wisely wandering off and leaving the small family alone.

Kerrianne was nervous, and she clearly knew exactly what her parents wanted to discuss. She knew that her refusal to look at them and play with the sugar packets instead would only work for so long. Really she was just trying to bide her time until the last possible moment. Fiona was not having any of that. She hadn't shifted her gaze yet, and was fully intending on staring her daughter down until she cracked. Really, Kerrianne should have known better than to sit directly across from both of her parents. It was a rookie mistake. Filip just rolled his eyes at them both, before sighing deeply.

"So, Kerrianne-" Filip started, before he was immediately cut off.

"Okay, guy, look," Kerrianne started, taking her father by surprise. "I know that you came here to yell at me and say how disappointed in me you are, so let me save you the trouble, okay? I know that what I did was stupid, and I have no plans to do it ever again. I just made some dumb choices and I was reckless and foolish and all sorts of different words that mean the same thing: I screwed up. I could have gotten hurt, and what's worse, I could have hurt my family. You guys had a huge fight because of me, and Ma, you passed out, so I could have hurt my baby brother or sister. I know all of this, and I have been thinking about all of this, and I am really sorry, guys. I don't know how I can fix everything or make up for it all, but I am going to try. Whatever you guys tell me to do, I will do it. I am just so, so sorry."

She finished her little speech by looking up at them. She had tears in her eyes, and Filip was glad to see that, unlike last night, her tears were back to making him want to do whatever was necessary to fix the problem. Fiona seemed to be on top of it. Before he could say or do anything, she dug a Kleenex out of her purse and handed it to Kerrianne.

"Dry your eyes, Love. This is not a time for crying. We didn't bring you here to yell at you. This is not some kind of weird, last supper scenario," Fiona assured the girl. "There was enough yelling last night. We did, however, bring you here to talk to you. We have a lot of questions, and you owe us some answers. Do you think you can do that?"

Kerrianne nodded, surprised at how considerate her mother was being. Filip took his wife's hand beneath the table and looked at his daughter. He figured that he would start asking the questions and let Fiona off the hook.

"When do you suppose all of this trouble started, Kerrianne?" he asked gently.

"I really don't know. When we first moved here, I was a little bit mad about having to move in the first place. I started at school, and I thought that everybody would hate me and look at me different. They didn't, though. It was almost the opposite. Everybody was really, really nice," she explained. "It hasn't ever really been easy for me to make friends before. I had to be careful in Ireland, and I was only allowed to spend time around 'appropriate' people, and all of the kids my age were only friends with me because they had to be or because their Da's wanted to get in good with Jimmy. Here, nobody cared. Nobody even knew who I was or asked who my parents were, except to ask if my Da really rode a motorcycle. They wanted to know things about me, and I thought that was cool. They all liked me and they all wanted to be my friend. I became really popular, really fast. I guess that is where my problems started."

"Yeah," Filip said. Fiona nodded. They really could understand where she was coming from. She was right about her friendship history, and both parents could understand the overwhelming appeal of acceptance. "What happened after that?"

"Well, everybody liked me, and that was fine, for a while. Tristen and I spent a lot of time with a lot of different kids. I guess the whole popularity thing went to my head. We started hanging out with all of the other popular people. The things that they said and did and thought just seemed so different and cool. They were things that I had never even considered before. Drinking and smoking weed and going out were never in the realm of possibility for me before. It was never, ever an option. None of their parents seemed to care that they did these things. They went out every night and had sex and smoked weed and drank and nothing bad ever happened to them. They were fine. I thought that if it was so easy for them, I don't know, maybe it would be easy for me, too."

"It was easy for you, way too easy, Kerrianne. It was easy because we trusted you. I never thought that these were things we had to be worried about what it came to you. That was my mistake, and now that your Da and I know that it is a concern, you can rest assured that we will be keeping a closer eye on things. I understand that you are growing up and that making your own decisions and doing your own thing is a part of that, but did you really think that this was the right thing to be doing? You know that you are too young to be drinking. You know that smoking pot is not something that we are going to sign off on. You know that sex and parties are not something that we are going to be okay with our fifteen year old daughter doing, but you did it anyway?" Fiona asked, as gently as she could.

"Yeah, I did. I knew that it was wrong, and I knew that it was bad, but I didn't think I could tell them no. I wanted them to like me, and it wasn't like it happened all at once; it was more slowly than that. It started out with skipping class, and they told me that the teachers wouldn't notice or wouldn't care. Then when we were skipping class, some of the kids would smoke or drink and, I couldn't tell them no, because I thought they wouldn't like me anymore. I thought that I could control it, only skip class once in a while, only see them after school sometimes, but it happened more and more often, and before I knew it, I was one of them," Kerrianne explained.

"That's where the lying to us part came in," Filip interjected.

"Right. I told you I was at Tristen's house, or at the library, but really, we were just at a lot of different places. Sometimes we would stay at the school and sometimes we would be at one of the other kid's houses. I didn't like lying to you guys. I hated it, actually. It was just the easiest thing to do, because you guys believed me. I knew that you would be mad or disappointed in me if you found out, and I was even disappointed in myself. I never wanted to be one of those girls that did things because her friends were doing them. I just got it pretty deep, and I didn't know how to get out. I know that you won't trust me anymore, and I know why. I don't deserve your trust," she said, sadly.

"No, you really don't," Filip said. "If you were in trouble, if you really did get in too deep and didn't want to be doing this stuff, why didn't you say something, Kerri? I asked you, so many times, if something was wrong and you didn't say anything. I would have helped you."

"I know," Kerri rushed to say. "I know you would have helped me, but you also would have made me stop altogether. Most of the time, it really was just fun and not bad stuff, and if I had told you that we even once smoked pot, you would have said I couldn't be around them anymore. I didn't want to lose all of my friends. I thought that I could handle it myself; stop myself from doing these things whenever I wanted to, and then eventually, it got so that none of it seemed so bad. It was easy to find excuses as to why it was okay to be doing what I was doing."

"It's not okay, Kerrianne. None of it is okay," Fiona informed her.

"But-" Kerrianne started, before she was cut off.

"But what? I really want to hear how you are going to argue that any of this is okay," Filip told her.

"I'm not. I know that it isn't okay, but…" Kerrianne took a deep breath before she continued. "Is it really that bad? Da, you drink all the time, and Ma, if you weren't pregnant, than you would too. I had my first drink when I was six years old. In Ireland, kids younger than me drink constantly. And don't tell me you don't smoke pot, Da. All of you guys do at the garage. Juice even told me that he bought a weed shop. I am sure there are much, much worse things that you guys do, too. I guess I just didn't see what the big deal was. I knew that you wouldn't be happy if you found out what had been going on, but I didn't think you would be that mad, either. I didn't expect you to completely freak out the way you did."

"Here is the difference, Kerrianne," Filip started, trying his best to stay calm and not get angry, at himself and at her. "I am an adult; so is your Ma. It's been a long time since either of us were children. I am not saying that every choice we have ever made was a good one, but that's neither here nor there. We also didn't have parents that really cared much about what we did, but you do. Some kids may have a legitimate reason to not tell their parents what is going on, but you aren't one of them, little girl."

Kerrianne nodded, "I know. I am lucky to have you guys, but Da, you did freak out a little bit. You embarrassed me, SO much. Charlie will probably never even talk to me again. And then when we got home, you guys fought and it was bad. Am I wrong to think that maybe you overreacted, even a little bit?"

Her parents just stared at her. She really didn't get it quite yet. Filip sighed.

"Kerrianne, do you want to know what would have happened to me if my father had caught me pulling any of the shit you have pulled?" he asked.

She shook her head slowly. She knew almost nothing about her paternal grandparents, and she was truly curious. Fiona took her husband's hand underneath the table. She had, unfortunately, known Filip's father and had been witness to exactly the sort of discipline the man had used. She knew exactly what he planned to tell, and knew that it would not be easy.

"I have this scar on the top of my head. You've seen it, right?" he asked. She nodded.

"Let me tell you a story," he said, sounding more grave, more serious, than she had ever heard him before. "When I was about your age, I did some stupid things. I skipped school and I fought and I drank. I was the middle of nine children, and nobody looked too closely or cared too much about what I did. You would think that would be a good thing, but what I wanted more than anything was for somebody to care enough to stop me, but nobody did, until I met this girl," he met his wife's eye for a moment, "and she was amazing. She cared about what I did and she loved me enough to tell me when I was being an idiot. I was old enough by that time to understand that my parents wouldn't be happy about her, because she was black. They weren't the most open and accepting people, but it didn't really matter. We spent most of our time together, outside or at school or anywhere we could, really. It was raining one day, so we were at my house studying. That's really all we were doing, and nobody was supposed to be home. My Da was at the pub, where he always was, and had overheard somebody say something about me and my black girlfriend. He came home straight away, and I didn't know he was coming. I didn't have enough time to get your Ma out before he barged in, in a drunken rage."

"Did he come after you?" Kerrianne whispered, completely entranced in the story.

"No," Filip told her. "That would have been too easy. He went after her."

Kerrianne's eyes instantly turned to her Ma's, but Fiona didn't notice. Her eyes were on her husband.

"Did he hurt you, Ma?" Kerri asked.

"No, Love," Fiona said softly. "Your Da would never let that happen. That was the first of many, many times he stood between me and somebody that wanted to hurt me. He paid for it with blood. Twenty eight stitches he needed, in the back of his head, and blood was not all he lost. He wasn't welcome at home after that day. In the end, it was lucky that two of his older brothers had heard about the ruckus and intervened, or it would have been so, so much worse."

"That, my dear Kerrianne, is overreaction. The worst part was that he didn't even do it because he gave a shit about what I was doing. If it had been a white girl in my room, he would have just ordered another round and toasted my good luck. You don't know how good you've got it, little girl," Filip said. "And here is another lesson from all of this. It took less than ten second for that boy to disappear from the room. If he had cared about you the way you deserve, he would have stuck around no matter how scary I am."

"I guess you're right," Kerrianne admitted softly, wiping her eyes. She was crying in a public place, but she didn't care that much. She dared anybody to not cry after hearing that kind of story.

"I know I'm right. You deserve somebody who loves you, Kerrianne, or at the very least, somebody who doesn't run at the first sign of trouble," Filip told her.

Kerrianne smiled, knowing now that her father was speaking from experience. She would never stop being thankful for the parents she had been given. She wiped her eyes again, before asking, "What kind of punishment am I looking at here?"

Filip laughed, earning a glare from him daughter. "Ah! So we get to the fun part at last!"

"I don't think it is fun," Kerrianne grumbled.

"Oh, but we do, Love," Fiona said. "Here's the deal: you're grounded."

"Grounded? Okay, that I expected. How long?" Kerrianne asked smoothly.

"We will start with a month, and reevaluate once that is done," Fiona told her. Ignoring Kerrianne's jaw drop, she continued, "You will go to school, and you will come straight home or to the garage. Your Da or I or another trusted adult will drop you off and pick you up. There will literally be no other places in your life, for the foreseeable future."

"But-" Kerrianne started.

"Oh, wait. We weren't done, yet," Filip cut her off. "Your laptop and phone will be turned over as soon as we get home. You can have them back when we feel like you deserve them, and if you ever even consider putting a password on them again, you might want to rethink that now."

"What about for school work? What if I need to call somebody for something? Am I really not allowed to use the phone at all?" Kerrianne asked, really starting to understand the gravity of the situation.

"Certain exceptions can be made, but we can cross those bridges when we come to them," Fiona told her.

Kerrianne opened her mouth to argue, but thought the better of it. She thought of the raised scar on her Da's head, that she now knew the full story behind. She thought of the frantic look on her Ma's face, and the intensity of the hug she had gotten upon returning home. She thought of the people at school who were probably getting off scot-free, with absolutely no consequences. She really felt bad for those kids. Her parents were right; at least they gave a damn about what happened to her.

She sighed heavily. "Okay, but can I at least hang out with Juice when I am at the garage? It has been forever, and he won't let me do anything fun, not if you tell him not to Da. Please?"

"Yeah, maybe. We'll see," Filip said.

"Okay. I am going to go wash my face off. I can't believe you made me cry in public," Kerrianne said, standing up.

Both her parents laughed at that. Before walking away, Kerri went and kissed each of them. "Thank you guys for being my parents. Love you both," she said, before walking to the bathroom.

Filip and Fiona sat in silence as they watched her walk into the restroom.

"That didn't go nearly as badly as it could have," Filip remarked.

"I agree," said Fiona. "I can't believe that you told her we were only studying that day."

"Well, did you want me to tell her what we were really doing? I didn't think it would help our case much," Filip retorted.

"And she believed you, too!" Fiona continued to laugh.

"Of course she did. I am her Da. I only speak the truth, unless we are talking about the antics of my fifteen year old self. Then, it's all lies," he said, completely serious.

"Of course, dear," Fiona smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder and picking up her Sprite. "I am just glad that's over."

"Yeah, me too," he picked up his glass and raised it in her direction, "Here's to never having to have another talk like this ever, ever again."

"Cheers," Fiona replied.


	32. Chapter 32

**Hi friends! Here is the next bit. Thank you all for continuing to read and I want to really take a moment to thank simbagirl and the lovely Ambrosia Rush for being great reviewers. Thanks again, and I hope that you all enjoy this chapter!**

Filip was riding with Opie and Kozik and the Prospects on the long trek to Stockton prison. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the air was clear and cool, and the road was wide open. He and the boys were on their way to pick up the rest of the Club from prison. It has been a long, difficult fourteen month stretch on the inside for the guys, and though the boys on the outside had fared slightly better, they would all be more than happy to have the Club whole again.

Filip had left Fiona and Kerrianne at home, with strict orders for Fiona to not move more than absolutely necessary. He had even promised Kerrianne that, if she took good care of her Ma and waited on her hand and foot while he was gone, than she could come to the garage when he and the boys got there. She had been overjoyed, and had sworn to do anything and everything her mother required in his absence. She had missed her friend Juice, and would be happy to see him on the outside. That, and it had been a week since she had been allowed outside of the house for anything other than school.

Fiona was due to give birth literally any day, now. Her doctor and Tara had both advised her to rest as often as possible, advice which she steadfastly ignored when she thought nobody was looking. No, it truly wasn't in Fiona to stay still and do nothing, so he and Kerrianne alike had spent their past week trying to keep her from inducing her own labor with too much activity. It was not easy work, and he found himself wishing more and more that the baby would just arrive already. He was beginning to get almost as impatient as she was.

He put the worries in regard to his wife and daughter aside as they pulled into the prison. It had been more than a year since his brothers had tasted free air, and he was more than glad to be there to welcome them to the outside once again. The trucks had delivered the bikes and the Prospects were overseeing the task to ensuring that they were properly unloaded and ready for their riders. He parked his bike alongside Opie's and began the most difficult task: waiting.

He leaned against his bike, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag before turning to look at Opie.

"Are you ready for today, brother?" Filip asked Opie, turning to look at the man.

"About as ready as I'm going to get. What about you?" Opie asked. "You are the one who has the hard job, tonight."

"I can do what needs to be done," Filip responded. "I have no love for anything Russian."

Opie was quiet for a moment before speaking again, "Can I ask you something?"

"Absolutely," Filip responded without even thinking twice.

"Did you tell Fiona?" Opie asked. Filip just raised his eyebrows, silently asking him to clarify. "About what you are doing tonight. Does she know?"

Filip nodded his head. "She knows. This isn't the first time that I have done something like this, Op. She knows and understands. At least this time it's for Jax and the Club, and not because the IRA told me to. Fiona knows what needs to be done. And Lila? What does she know?"

"Lila doesn't know shit," Opie admitted. "I can't tell her what's going on. She's not Fiona; she's not Gemma or Tara. She can't handle this kind of thing. As far as she knows, it will just be a happy wedding between a porn star and an outlaw biker."

Their conversation was interrupted by the emergence of their long missing brothers. He met Opie's eye and grinned, nodding once, before he was attacked by Bobby. There was nothing quite liked being hugged by Bobby Elvis. Soon he was let go, and engulfed by one brother after another. The atmosphere was one of happiness, one of brotherhood. As he hugged Juice, held the boy close and ruffled his grown out hair, he felt completely and totally at ease, all because he had his brothers back again.

It was long after midnight when Filip, Juice, Happy, and Kozik finished their task. Filip had sent Kerrianne and Fiona home with one of the Prospects hours ago, before he had left to deal with the Russians. They would be safely at home and in bed, with Filthy Phil standing guard until he returned home. He should be on his way now. He was done for the night, and the guys had all taken off their own separate ways; Happy to a tattoo shop, Kozik back to the wedding in hopes of scoring one of Lila's porn star friends, and Juice to God knew where. Filip should be halfway home by now, but on a whim, he had decided to swing by the Club house.

As he pulled up, he was surprised to find that he was not the only one there. He parked his bike next to Juice's, finally settling his question of where the kid had ended up. Honestly, Filip was surprised. He would have figured that, after spending fourteen months in prison with only Tig for company at night, Juice would be balls deep in a Crow Eater. He looked around, the garage and, not spotting Juice anywhere, headed in to the Club house.

Juice was perched on a stool at the bar, alone. There was a slightly warm, half empty bottle of beer on the bar in front of him, and his recently returned laptop was open as well, but the screensaver told Filip that it hadn't been touched in quite some time. The kid was just staring idly at the bar. He jumped half a mile into the air when the door opened and slammed shut, announcing Filip's arrival.

"Chibs, man, you scared the shit out of me," Juice said, trying to cover for the awkward situation he had found himself in. "Shouldn't you be at home?"

"Shouldn't you be?" Filip asked, taking a seat on the bar stool next to him.

Juice laughed, but there was no humor in it. Filip could tell his heart rate was going strong. "Yeah, I guess you are right. The thing is, I didn't really have time to clean out my fridge before we went inside, and I am guessing that there is probably some sort smell, and maybe a mold issue by now. I wasn't really too excited to tackle it just yet."

"Ah, I see," Filip said. "We will make the Prospects go handle it in the morning. Why didn't you go back to the party?"

"I didn't really feel like it," Juice said with a shrug.

"I can see how sitting alone in an empty Club house would be much more appealing," Filip joked.

"It's just been a long day, brother," Juice said, looking away and taking a swig out of the stale beer and grimacing.

"Yeah, I can see that," Filip said. He realized very suddenly exactly what was wrong with the kid. "Have you ever killed anybody before, Juicy?"

Juice looked up immediately, and the panic in his eyes told Filip that he had hit the nail right on the head.

"No, not really. Not like that," Juice replied, looking a little bit ashamed. "Does it get any easier?"

Filip thought carefully, before answering. "Not really, no. It's a necessary thing, but it will never be easy. Would you really want it to? The minute it gets easy is the minute you become Tig, and I think that there is only room for one Tig in this world."

Juice actually laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"You'll be okay, kid. Now come on, you can come home with me. There is a couch with your name on it. Kerrianne will be excited to wake up and find that she has a visitor during her house arrest," Filip told him, standing up.

"Yeah, I heard about that. I can't believe that shit, Chibs. I'm sorry I wasn't around to help when you needed me," Juice said, standing up himself.

"It worked out fine in the end," Filip told him, heading for the door, "and I will probably use your help before this is over. May need you to keep an eye on her. She needs a friend, but a friend I can trust."

"Absolutely. Whatever you need, man," Juice replied, and they climbed onto their bikes.

Ten minutes later, they both arrived at the house and sent Filthy Phil home, making sure to give him explicit cleaning instructions and a key to Juice's place. Phil was a good guy, and would make sure that it got done. The house was quiet as the guys made their way inside, and Filip assumed that both girls were asleep. A quick peek in Kerrianne's room told him that at least half of his assumption was correct. He pulled an extra pillow and blanket from the hall closet and handed them to Juice.

"I appreciate you letting me crash here," Juice said, tossing the pillow onto the couch.

"Anytime, Juicy," Filip replied with a smile. "Get some rest. You will probably be awoken shockingly early by a screeching teenaged girl."

They shared a grin, before Filip made his way down the hall, towards his own bedroom. He was pretty exhausted and really just wanted to sleep for about six days. He opened the door and was surprised to find that Fiona wasn't in bed. He could see the light streaming from underneath the bathroom door, and figured she was just making one of many trips to pee. Pregnant women apparently had to pee all the goddamed time.

"Fi, I'm home," he called softly, but still loud enough for her to hear him. He stripped off his kutte and jeans, making sure to pick them up off the floor in order to ensure that his pregnant wife didn't trip over them. With a yawn, he slid under the cool sheets on his side of the bed to wait for his wife.

He was hovering somewhere in-between awake and asleep when the bathroom door slammed open. He shot up instantly, alarmed by the noise, and turned toward the now open door of the bathroom, where his wife was standing, stock still, surrounded by light.

"Fi? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed.

"Nothing. Except I think my water just broke," she replied. "Take me to the hospital, Filip. The baby is coming."


	33. Chapter 33

Filip's mind may have been clouded with sleep, but the second he registered her words, he was out of bed and on his feet. He was by her side in no time and helped her over to the bed.

"I haven't felt good tonight, and I was all sorts of achy and grumpy, so I came home and tried to sleep, but I couldn't, so I took a warm bath, and then I got out and all of a sudden, my water broke, and-" she cut herself off right then with a groan. She braced her hands on her knees. "And it hurts, Filip."

Fiona in pain was something that he just did not deal with very well. He understood that she would be giving birth and pain was probably inevitable, but he didn't like it.

"Okay, what do you need me to do?" was the only thing he could ask, because he really had no idea what he was supposed to do, and he figured that some sort of directions or actions would help soothe the blind panic he was feeling.

"You should call the hospital and call Tara, too. Tell them what is happening. I have a bag in the front closet that will need to come with us. You should wake up Kerrianne, she isn't staying here by herself. I am going to somehow manage to finish getting dressed, and then I guess we just go to the hospital," Fiona said.

"Juice is here, on the couch, he can stay with Kerrianne," Filip told her, looking around for his cell phone. It figured that, the moment he needed it was the one time he couldn't find it anywhere. "Shit. Okay, I am going to find my phone. You just stay put for a minute. I'm serious, Fiona. Don't move."

She nodded, trying to stay still and breathe evenly. He rushed from the room, really wondering where the hell he might have left his phone. It wasn't in the kitchen, it wasn't on the table, and it wasn't in the fridge.

"Fuck!" he yelled. He was going a little bit nuts in his panic, wondering how he was going to get a hold of anybody if he didn't have his phone. Hearing a noise behind him, he turned to find Juice sitting up on the couch, looking at him as if he was a mental patient.

"What's wrong, Chibs?" Juice asked, cautiously.

"Phone!" Filip yelled, startling the boy so much that he fell off the couch. "You have a phone. Give it to me."

Juice did even have time to grab his phone from the coffee table before Filip just did it himself. He spent a minute searching the contacts. "Where is Tara'a number?"

"Tara and I don't usually have long phone conversations. I don't have her number. Try Jax, I'm sure that wherever they are, they're together," Juice told him.

He dialed Jax, and the phone rang four, five, six times without anybody picking up. He was starting to mentally curse his friends and their need for sleep and/or sex when Jax picked up the phone.

"What do you want Juice?" Jax mumbled, with sleep evident in his voice.

"Not Juice, it's me. I need Tara," Filip said, probably too quickly to understand.

"Chibs? What's wrong?" Jax asked, sounding slightly more awake.

"Fiona and the baby. I need Tara," Filip replied, slightly more slowly.

"Shit, man, here," Jax said, handing the phone over to Tara.

"Hello?" he heard Tara say.

"Tara, hey. Listen, Fiona says that the baby is coming," he told her, feeling slightly calmer now that he was actually talking to a doctor. "What do I do?"

"Okay, is she having contractions?" Tara asked.

"I think so. She says that it hurts," he told her, really wishing that he knew more.

"Did her water break?" Tara wondered, taking on a more clinical tone.

"Yeah, she said it did. Should we go to the hospital? She told me to call the hospital, but I can't find my phone. I don't know their number. I am kind of a mess, in case you can't tell. What should I do?" he rambled.

She ignored most of his questions, instead asking, "Did she lose the mucus plug yet?"

"Jesus Christ, I hope not! That sounds disgusting. Please, Tara. I don't know what to do," he was begging now, a little frantically.

"Listen, I will call the doctor. All that you need to do is get her to the hospital. I will meet you guys there, okay? Just take it easy, relax a little bit," Tara explained calmly. "Your only job right now is to get Fiona to the hospital safely. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I can do that. We will see you there in a few minutes," he told her, a little less tense now that he had an actual task. All he had to do was get his wife to the hospital. He said goodbye, and hung up the phone, before he turned to find Juice staring at him, looking just as frantic as he felt.

"The baby is coming?" Juice asked.

"Looks that way," Filip said, taking a deep breath. "I need you to stay with Kerrianne. When she wakes up, let her know what is happening. Her Ma is going to want to see her. There is a bag in the front closet. Could you take it out to the car? I need to go help Fiona."

"Yeah, I can do that," Juice said. "No problem."

Filip nodded once and headed back to the bedroom to check on Fiona. Before he opened the door, he stopped and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He could not be panicked and out of control around her. He needed to be calm if he was going to keep her calm. Fixing a smile on his face, he opened the door and found her exactly where he left her.

"How you doing, Love?" he asked.

"Oh, you know. Fine I suppose," she told him. He could tell that she was in pain, which he hated, and more than that, he hated that there was nothing that he could do about it.

"Good. Listen, I talked to Tara. She is going to meet us at the hospital. She said that all I need to do is get you there, and the doctors would handle the rest, which is good news, isn't it? Because I am pretty much worthless. So let's get you dressed, okay?" he said softly.

He helped her up and helped her get dressed. Her being around, her needing him, gave him a reason to keep his cool and not completely and totally freak out. He figured that as long as he kept his focus on her and what she needed, rather than the fact that he was about to be a father again and the actual birthing process that was about to take place, than things would be fine. They walked out to the living room, her walking slowly but steadily, him right next to her fully prepared to support her if another contraction struck.

Juice was sitting up on the couch, and immediately stood when they came in.

"Hey, I put your bag from the closet in the car. I found your phone in the hall closet, stuck it in there too. You can call and let us know what is going on. I will bring Kerrianne down to St. Thomas when she wakes up. I'll call everybody else in the morning, too. What else can I do?" Juice asked.

"Nothing right now, dear," Fiona told him. "Thank you for all of your help. We will call you when we know what is happening. There's no use in you bringing Kerri here until we know what's going on. This could take awhile."

Filip knew that Fiona really just didn't want Kerrianne there until they knew that everything would be alright, and he couldn't help but agree. Though he was panicked and more than a little bit nervous, he knew in his heart that it wasn't because of the baby's health. Underneath all of the anxiety he was dealing with, he felt okay. He really and truly thought that everything was going to be fine and he was confident that, by the time this day was over, they would be holding a healthy baby in their arms.

"You've got it. Don't worry about anything at all, I will take care of things. If you guys need anything at all, let me know, okay? I am sure the hospital will be packed full of bikers before too long, so we'll see you soon," Juice assured them.

Fiona smiled and headed for the door. Filip made to follow her, pausing only to hug Juice.

"Thank you, brother. For everything," Filip said.

"Don't worry about it," Juice said, flashing his trademark grin. "You're gonna be a Dad, Chibs. Worry about that, man."

"I know," Filip grinned back, before following Fiona out to the car.

Several hours later, Filip was resting, not quite comfortably, in a hospital chair. Resting was a slight exaggeration. He was basically sitting in a plastic chair, trying to make himself relax. Fiona was in the bed next to him, sleeping fitfully. She was hooked up to an IV and about a thousand machines. There were machines to monitor her heart rate, machines to monitor that baby's heart rate, machines to make sure she was breathing correctly, machines to monitor contractions, and he was pretty sure there was a machine that made coffee somewhere in the room.

It was nearly eight in the morning, and Filip was beyond exhausted. They had been at the hospital for just over five hours, and Fiona was, in fact, in labor. They had arrived, Tara and their doctor meeting them there, and been ushered into the room. The nurses had hooked up all of the machines and Filip and watched from the sidelines as the doctor preformed an exam and said that, in fact, her cervix was about five centimeters dilated. Filip was a grown man, who had been through this before, but he still couldn't hear words like "cervix" and "dilated" without cringing.

At first, the nurses had recommended walking the halls, which they had done constantly for about an hour. Fiona would walk roughly five steps, and then stop to catch her breath or brace herself against him as a contraction overtook her. Needless to say, the walking had not done anything to make this whole labor easier, and he had convinced her to return to bed, before she decided to punch the nurse in the face for telling her to 'keep up the great work'. The contractions had gotten slightly more intense, until finally she had been allowed an epidural. That process was brutal. It had him grinding his teeth, and he wondered how he was going to handle the actual giving birth to an infant thing.

He wasn't sure how Fiona has managed to fall asleep, but he was glad that she had. His past experiences and the plethora of reading he had done told him that pushing a baby out was exhausting work, and she would need all of the strength and energy she could get. The nurse had brought him a pillow and told him that he should get his rest, also, but he couldn't seem to make himself fall asleep. It was as if he felt it was his job to sit here and stare at her and ensure that the machines kept right on beeping.

Patience had never been something that came easily to Filip. He was wired and very much on edge. His habit of not being able to sit still was overcoming him. He was glad that Gemma wasn't here to hit him. At least he was able to fidget quietly. He was being very, very careful to not wake his sleeping wife. He just wished that he could get some rest himself, but his restless nature would never allow it. He was beginning to wonder if Fiona would miss him if he went to have a smoke. It was then that Tara quietly opened the door, handing him a hot cup of coffee.

"Thought that you might need this. Somehow, I knew that you wouldn't be following doctor's instructions and getting some rest," she said with a smirk.

"Ah, thanks Doc," he said gratefully, taking the offered coffee. "Yeah, I have never really been one to follow directions. Besides, if I am asleep, who will look out for her?"

"Doctors, nurses, fellow bikers," she offered him a number of choices.

"Yeah, yeah," he came back. He watched her as she checked the various machines carefully. "Is she doing okay?"

"Everything seems fine. The contractions are happening regularly and both heart rates are normal. We will check her again, once she wakes up, and see where her cervix-" _shudder _"is at. I am guessing that we will have a baby sometime this afternoon," she said with a smile.

"Good, that's good," he said, taking a sip of the coffee.

"What about you?" she asked, nudging him in the shoulder. "How are you doing?"

"Me?" he questioned. "Oh, I'm okay. I am not the one that has to push a baby out. I am just the one that has to watch from the sidelines and be absolutely useless."

"That's what Dad's are good for," Tara joked. "If I bring you a more comfortable chair, will you are least try to get some sleep?"

"Really? You would do that?" he asked.

Tara shook her head. He flashed a smile at her in thanks. At least a little bit of sleep would be good. Before long, they would have a squalling infant at home, and a solid night's sleep would be impossible. It would be a couple of hours before Kerrianne and the rest of the guys invaded, so he really wouldn't mind a little bit of rest. Soon, Tara arrived back with a better chair, along with another pillow and a blanket.

"It reclines," she said. "Now go to sleep. I will sit with her."

He gave his wife a soft kiss on the forehead, being very careful not to wake her, before he set his coffee aside and sat in the chair. It did, in fact, recline. It was shockingly comfortable. He felt his eyes start to close, and the last thought he had was the image of his beautiful wife holding a tiny, perfect baby.

**REVIEW please!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Here is the next bit! I have to tell you guys up front that I have absolutely no experience with child birth. The only birth I have ever witness was that of my little nephew, so these next couple of chapters will borrow heavily from that. Anyway, thanks for reading and I would appreciate any and all reviews! Have a wonderful day!**

Filip woke up to find his daughter staring at him, shaking his shoulder and nervously shuffling from foot to foot. He quickly looked from him to the bed where his wife was supposed to be. It was empty.

"Kerrianne, where is your mother?" he asked, as calmly as possible, which was actually not very calmly.

"She is walking in the hallway. This labor stuff is hurting her, and she was making a lot of noise. She was afraid of waking you up, and that moronic nurse told her that she should take a walk and it would help, so that's what she did. Da, you need to go get her and convince her to come back to bed. She's in pain," Kerrianne explained.

"If we are both here, who is with your Ma?" he asked, scrambling to his feet and heading towards the door. "She shouldn't be by herself, Kerrianne!"

"She's not, Da. Juice is with her," Kerrianne said, laying a hand on his arm. "I told them I had to pee so that I could come wake you up. I think that she needs you. I thought that she the epidural thing would make it not hurt?"

"I thought so too. How long have I been asleep?" he asked.

"A few hours, I think. She didn't want me to wake you up, so don't tell her okay?" she asked, nervously.

"Yeah, I won't say anything, Darlin. Which way did your Ma go?" he asked. He was on his way out the door when he noticed that she had not yet answered him. He stopped and looked at her. She looked a little bit pale and absolutely terrified. "Kerrianne, what's wrong, Love?"

"I am worried about Ma!" she screeched. "Everything is hurting her and this baby may never come out and she was crying earlier. Is she going to be okay, Da?"

Filip stopped in his tracks. He went to his daughter and pulled her close. "Ma is fine, Darlin. Having a baby kind of sucks, and it is hard work, but she will be okay. Believe it or not, everything is happening exactly how it is supposed to happen."

"Da, that's crazy!" Kerrianne argued. "She did this voluntarily? Knowing what it would feel like to give birth?"

Filip laughed. "You think that this is bad? You should have seen her trying to get you out. You gave her a hell of a time, Kerrianne. She screamed and cried and very nearly broke some bones in my hand. But then in the end, there you were and she forgot all about how much it hurt. She just held you and she was so happy. That's how this will turn out, too. You'll see."

"She was really that happy that I was born?" Kerrianne asked with a small smile. "Happy enough to forget everything?"

"Yes, Darlin. We both were. You'll see as soon as this wee one finally decides to make its entrance. There is going to be nothing but happiness," he told her, kissing her forehead. "Now, can you take me to your Ma? I need to make sure that she hasn't strangled the nurse who told her to walk."

"Yeah, she should be right down this way. You know, after this experience, I am never having kids, right?" she asked him, quite seriously.

He laughed, "That's fine with me, Sweetheart. I have zero desire to be a grandfather. Besides, the last thing in the world I want is good, solid proof that my little daughter is having sex."

They went together down the hall, without seeing even a sign of Fiona. The nurse who had encouraged the walking pointed them through the doors of the waiting room, where he found Fiona pacing up and down, cursing up a storm, while all the guys sat around either laughing or looking incredibly uncomfortable. Juice was following in Fiona's wake, almost as if he was waiting to catch her when she inevitably fell. Instead, he kept nearly running into her, and Filip had the feeling that if he didn't intervene soon, Juice would become the one to be strangled to death.

"Christ woman! I fall asleep for a few minutes and I awake to find you gone, out here, terrorizing the masses!" Filip told her, only half joking.

She spun and looked at him, narrowing her eyes, "You! You did this, Filip. This baby is never coming out, and I blame you!"

"I know you do, Love, but right now, we should probably get you back to bed, before you give birth on the waiting room floor," he told her, gently putting an arm around her.

"No, because like I said, this baby hates me and refuses to come out," she stubbornly insisted. "Why does the baby hate me, Filip?"

Most of the guys were teetering on the fence between fear and hysterical laughter. Gemma and Tara just looked sympathetic, and Kerrianne was looking at him as if he was a liar and an idiot for telling her, just moments ago, that everything would be fine.

"Fiona Rose, the baby does NOT hate you. It is probably trying to make its way into the world as we speak, but it obviously can't come out if you won't sit still for five minutes. It would be like jumping out of a moving vehicle," he told her, calmly but firmly. "Now, let's get you back to bed, and maybe the nice doctor can do whatever he does to check the timer on the kid, yeah?"

That at least earned a small smile, as well as a few laughs from the peanut gallery. They could laugh all they wanted, he didn't care much. He was prepared to do whatever it took to get his wife back into bed. She opened her mouth to reply, when another contraction struck, and had her gripping his forearms, hard, to keep from falling. She didn't need to worry; there was no way he was going to let that happen.

It took a moment to pass, but once it did, her reply from earlier was nowhere to be found. Instead, she just nodded and let herself be lead back towards her room. Filip managed to give each any every man in the room a single fingered salute for not insisting that she go back to bed much, much sooner. Maybe he wasn't a doctor, but he really thought that whoever decided that a pregnant woman walking around constantly was a good thing ought to have been shot. He still stood by his 'jumping out of a moving vehicle' theory.

Between he and the nurse, they managed to get Fiona back into bed and settled reasonably comfortably. The machines were all hooked up again, and the nurse assured them that heart rates were where they should be and contractions were happening (to which Fiona replied, 'no shit') and everything was coming along quite nicely. She was currently feeling the heat and intensity coming from Fiona's glare, so the nurse excused herself to go find their doctor, just as another contraction struck.

"We've got to be getting close, Filip," Fiona said, through gritted teeth. "These contractions are getting worse."

"I know, Love, but you are doing just fine," Filip told her, completely honestly. "Want to take any final bets on whether the wee one is a boy or a girl?"

"I'm not going to jinx it by guessing now. I really have no idea," she told him. "Do you have your name ready, in the event of a girl?"

"Of course not," he shrugged. "I've always been more of a spur of the moment guy. I figure that if it's a girl, I will see her when she comes out and see what comes to me."

She rolled her eyes, "Way to plan ahead, Love."

"It will be fine," he told her. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She smiled at him, that small, genuine smile meant just for him, and shook her head. "No, just stay with me, okay? I am pretty nervous and this just fucking hurts, so no matter how many mean, awful things I say to you before this is over, just promise you won't go anywhere, okay?"

"Not a chance, Darlin. Be as mean as you want to be, you're stuck with me," he told her. "What are you worried about?"

She looked away from him, uneasily, before answering, "You know what I am worried about."

He nodded, "Yeah, I guess I do. I don't know why, Fi, but I know that this time will be different. Doesn't feel like it did last time."

"You really think so?" she asked hopefully.

"I really do," he insisted, looking her in the eye. "We are going to get through today, and by the end of it, we will have a new little baby. One that hopefully looks just like you."

He stood and kissed her, hoping beyond hope that she knew just how much he loved her. Even now, thirty years after he had first met her, she was, by far, the very best thing that had ever happened to him. They had a beautiful daughter, and before long, they would have another baby. "You know, the very best thing I have ever done was to pluck up the courage and kiss you that night, all those years ago?"

"I agree, wholeheartedly, Love. And the very best thing I have ever done was let you," she told him, bringing his hand up and kissing it.

They were interrupted by the door opening. Tara and Dr. Lake, along with the long suffering nurse, joined them in the room.

"So let's check you out and see where you are," Dr. Lake said.

Filip sat in the chair next to the bed, keeping his eyes steadfastly on his wife. The very last thing he wanted to do was make eye contact with the doctor who was current wrist deep in his wife's vagina. He had a feeling that he would want to punch the doctor, no matter how gay he was. Fiona was looking about a thousand miles from comfortable. He had a feeling that she wasn't enjoying this any more than he was at the moment.

Just like that, the exam was over and Dr. Lake was looking at them.

"I hope that you both are ready," he said smiling at them. "You're ten centimeters dilated and 100% effaced."

Filip looked at Fiona and then Tara, still not ready to make eye contact with Dr. Lake. He really had no idea what was happening or what the numbers meant, and was desperate for somebody to clarify.

"It's time to start pushing. This baby is ready to be born!" Tara exclaimed, with a grin. "As quickly as we can, too. I have bets on 2:30, and you have only got about 45 minutes! There is a couple hundred bucks riding on this, so do the best you can. Dr. Lake is just going to get ready, and I will go tell your fans in the waiting room what is happening. We will start in just a few minutes, okay?"

Filip nodded, and immediately turned his attention back to Fiona. Overall, she looked very calm and focused, as if she were gathering her strength and energy. He supposed that she probably was. He took her hand again and squeezed gently.

"Do you want anyone else in here?" he asked. "Kerrianne? I am sure we could get Tig to come too, maybe support a leg?"

She laughed, before shaking her head. "No, nobody else. Just you, Love."

"Okay," he told her, brushing the hair away from her face. "Then I am here. Are you okay? Are you ready for this?"

"I'm ready," she assured him with a smile and nod of her head.

She made to go back to her quiet calm and focus, but he stopped her by pressing his lips firmly against hers once again. He was completely and totally in awe of her, his wife, who had stood with him and loved him for most of his life, who was getting ready to endure pain that he was sure he couldn't even begin to imagine, just to bring his baby into this world. The kiss surprised her for a minute, but it wasn't long before she was kissing him right back, taking just a moment to relax and remember that all of this pain was going to be worth it in the end.

He could hear the doctors and nurses just outside the door, probably getting ready to come back in. He ended the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, just for a moment.

"I love you, Fi," he whispered, just to make sure she knew, and then, the room was full of people again and there was noise and about a thousand things happening at once. She just smiled and held his eyes, nodding once at him, and then the action was starting.


	35. Chapter 35

**Here is chapter 35! This chapter is dedicated to to amazing Ambrosia Rush, who has been patiently waiting for Baby Telford to arrive almost as long as I have! Enjoy reading and please take a moment to review! Thanks again!**

An hour later, bedlam had broken free in the room. Fiona was screaming and crying and cursing with the pain involved at giving birth. Dr. Lake was smiling and shouting encouraging things from his place between Fiona's legs. Tara and the nurse were supporting Fiona's legs, while counting loudly. Filip was by her head, trying very hard not to look anywhere else.

His head was swimming. Fiona was clutching his hand, and he was almost sure that he was now sporting several broken fingers. He wasn't stupid enough to open his mouth and complain, even in the smallest way. Judging from the noises Fiona was making, she was in a much worse place than he was, and he figured he owed it to her to allow her to break a few of his fingers, seeing as it was at least fifty percent his fault that she was in her current position. No, he would just take whatever he was dealt with a smile on his face.

Not that he was smiling right now. No, he was standing right next to Fiona's bed, doing absolutely nothing. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing right now, and he had never felt more useless in his entire life. All he could do was stand there and do nothing but hold her hand. She was going through what sounded like absolute hell, and there was nothing that he could do to stop it. He supposed that watching his wife shriek with pain was some sort of punishment for being an outrageously horny male and impregnating her, and he absolutely hated it.

The latest contraction ended and Fiona fell back against the bed, breathing heavily. He could tell that she was absolutely exhausted. He hoped to God that this would be over soon and the baby would be here so that they could forget all of this pain and blood and tears. He grabbed a soft cloth from the table and used it to wipe the sweat off of Fiona's brow. He wasn't sure how she was sweating so much, as it was about twelve degrees in the room, but once again, he wouldn't make any comments.

"Thank you, Love," she said to him. She was still panting and out of breath. "Could you get me some water?"

He nodded and brought the straw in the Styrofoam cup he had found on the table to her lips. She sipped quickly, grateful for the clear liquid inside. She felt as if she was running a marathon, and she swore she didn't remember being this completely drained when Kerrianne was born, or Andrew for that matter. She supposed that the extra years added to her age were taking their toll. She really hoped that her Filip was up to the task of taking care of this baby alone for the about a month, because all she wanted to do was sleep.

All around them, the doctors were donning rubber gloves and surgical masks. The nurses were lining up supplies and making sure things were in order. It really looked like this was about to happen. He didn't know whether to be more excited or nervous. In truth, he was a little bit of both. He looked at Fiona, who was biting her lip against the pain, all while closing her eyes and attempting to relax. Filip really wasn't sure how she was supposed to be relaxing right now, but it looked like she was trying her very best.

With the hand not currently clutched in hers, he stroked her hair, trying to offer her any support that he could. She opened her eyes and focused on him once she felt his touch. She tried to smile at him, but she wasn't really successful.

"Hey," she said, happy to have something besides pain to concentrate on.

"Hey there, Love," he said, grinning at her. "You are doing so good, Fi."

"If I were doing that good, this baby would be here by now," she argued.

"Nonsense," he said, shaking his head. "You are doing more than good; you are doing great. I'm so proud of you. The baby will be here soon."

"I hope so," she told him. She wasn't proud of what came out next, but she really needed to hear him say it; hear him reassure her. "You really think I can do this? You think the baby will finally be out soon?"

"I know you can do it, Darlin," he said, forcefully. "You are the toughest woman I have ever met. You managed to raise our teenage daughter almost entirely on our own, and she is no cake walk. Plus, you put up with me on a regular basis. This is nothing."

She managed a laugh, before another contraction washed over her and she was back to clenching her teeth and bearing down, all while working on fracturing his thumb. It seemed as if she had taken his words to heart. This time, there was no screaming, no crying. There was just a look of pure determination in her eyes. She had a task to do, and she was going to accomplish it, no matter what. He knew that he shouldn't be thinking like this, but her intense focus and determination was incredibly hot. He shouldn't be turned on by this, but he kind of was.

"Okay Fiona, you're almost there. I can see the baby's head. We need you to give one more good push, and then just listen, because when we tell you to stop pushing, you have to stop pushing, okay?" Tara told her, once the latest contraction was over. "This is the part that is going to hurt the most, but then it will be over. Just relax and breathe, and when the next contraction comes, get ready to finish this."

Fiona nodded in agreement, indicating that she understood. Filip took brief notice that she was now drawing blood on his hand, but he didn't care. This was it; this was really happening. He was at a complete and total loss as to what he should do to help her. He knew deep down that there was nothing that he could do, so when he heard her sharp intake of breath indicating the arrival of another contraction, he just held her hand and supported her back as she pushed with every little thing she had left.

It didn't take very long at all. One minute, Fiona was pushing for all she was worth and the medical professionals in the room were yelling 'GO! GO! MORE! GO!' and the very next minute, Dr. Lake yelled "STOP!" and everything was just still for a moment.

"The head is out, Fiona. You're almost there," Tara grinned at her.

Filip was trying to resist the urge to look, because he knew that it was probably all for the best that he stay exactly where he was. There were some things that you just couldn't unsee, and he was well aware that this was probably one of them, so he stayed put and continued to squeeze Fiona's hand nearly as hard as she was squeezing his.

"Okay Fiona, you need to push again, but very, very gently, okay?" Dr. Lake told her. "Then you will be holding your new baby! Just a very gentle push, nice and easy."

Fiona nodded, obviously more than ready to get this done. He supposed that she as pushing gently, and it must have hurt pretty badly, because the wailing had started again, high pitched and constant. It lasted for about thirty more seconds, and then, at long last, with one final groan, it was done. It was all a blur, but Dr. Lake had a baby in his hands, and the whole room let out a relived breath.

"It's a boy!" Tara exclaimed. "You have a son!"

His son was a tiny little thing, covered in blood and God knows what else, squirming in the doctor's hands. It was a boy. He had a son. He looked at Fiona in wonder for a moment, and then back at the little thing that was surrounded by doctors and nurses. It took Filip a moment to register that it was completely silent in the room, and then another moment to realize that in a room with a just born infant, it should absolutely not be silent.

Tara had the wee boy in her arm and carried him over to the other side of the room, where he was instantly surrounded by the doctors and nurses. Filip had no idea what was going on, and he was scared. This little tiny boy had literally just been born and he should be crying. He should be wailing, but he just wasn't. He wanted to go to his son. He wanted to knock most of the people out of his way, and pick up his little boy and hold him and ask why he wasn't crying.

He knew almost immediately that he couldn't, though. His son was in the best hands possible, and he needed to be right here. Fiona was craning her neck, trying to see what was happening, even though neither of them could see a damned thing. Filip put his hand under her chin and firmly turned her head so that she was looking into his eyes. She wasn't crying, but her eyes held a look that he had only seen once before in his entire life.

"Filip…: she started. "Not again. This can't be happening again."

"It's not, Fiona. It's not happening again," Filip insisted, ignoring the panic he was feeling. "He is fine. Tara is taking care of him. He will be fine."

He had to believe that what he was saying was true. There was no way he could even begin to think that something might be wrong. He was sure that there were a lot of reasons why a little, newborn baby might not cry right away. It didn't have to mean that anything was wrong. If he thought on it too long, if he allowed his worry and concerns to take over, they would probably never stop. He just held her gaze and tried to convince her, tried to convince himself, that everything was fine.

It hadn't been more than a minute since he was born, but time was moving in ultra slow motion. He couldn't tell what the doctors were doing or what was happening, so he just focused on Fiona. At least she had to know that she wasn't alone. They were here together and as long as he didn't look away from her eyes, didn't make any sudden movements, then everything would be okay and he wouldn't have to think about what was happening.

All of a sudden, they heard it. It was a sound that they had been waiting a full minute, a full day, a full nine months to hear. He knew that, in real time, it had only been a minute or so since the boy was born, but it had seemed like hours. He didn't know how it happened or who made it happen, but his son was crying, at last.

Just like that, Fiona was smiling and crying and he didn't know how or when it happened, but he was, too. The doctors and nurses were laughing, and his arms were around Fiona and he was just overjoyed with the fact that he had a son _who was crying_.


	36. Chapter 36

**Here is the next part! A huge thanks for all of the love for the last chapter! You guys are awesome. I hope that you enjoy this one! Please review if you get a minute!**

"It's okay, guys. Everything is fine. He just needed a little bit of help there for a minute, but he is okay. Seven pounds, six ounces. He looks good!" they heard Tara say, over the wails of the baby boy. "Chibs, why don't you come get your son, take him to meet his mother."

He looked at Fiona, who nodded at him. He smiled and used his sleeves to wipe at his eyes. This was a pretty big moment, and he needed clear eyes if he wanted to see it right. He took a deep breath and finally got up, carefully making his way towards Tara, who was wrapping his little boy in a blanket. He stopped about a foot away and watched, as Tara picked up the boy. He couldn't hear anything happening in the room, couldn't even hear himself thinking actually, because once the baby had started crying, he hadn't stopped, even for a second.

Tara turned with the baby in her arms, and then reached out towards him, placing the little bundle into his arms. It weighed almost nothing. Yes, he was well aware that Tara claimed the baby weighed more than seven pounds, but he really couldn't tell. He looked down at the tiny thing in his arms just to make sure that Tara had, in fact, handed him a baby and not just an empty blanket that weighed nothing. Filip couldn't help but be amazed.

The wee boy had finally stopped crying and was looking up at Filip. It was almost as if the boy recognized him. Filip definitely recognized the boy. The face staring back at him was his own, albeit a shade darker and free of scars and facial hair. It looked as if his wish for the wee one to inherit his looks from Fiona had been ignored, but Filip was fine with that. There was no way his little boy could be any more perfect. He was wrapped tightly in a light blue blanket and there was a tiny hat on his head. He could see tufts of black hair peeking out from under the hat, and he could tell that it was his straight hair and not Fiona's insane curls. He was very close to the best thing Filip had ever laid eyes on.

"Hi there," he whispered to the tiny boy. "I'm your Da."

Filip wasn't sure why, but he got the feeling that the kid understood exactly what he was saying. They just stared at each other for a few seconds, two strangers meeting each other for the first time. He may have only known the boy for a few moments, but Filip already knew that there was absolutely nothing in this world that he wouldn't do for his son.

Filip walked slowly, cautiously and made his way over to Fiona. He was overcome with the urge to share this little miracle boy with each and every person in the world, starting with his wife. Fiona was waiting patiently, and he knew that she was mentally telling him to hurry up. She could wait another minute; he was taking his time. The very last thing he wanted to do was trip over a wire and send his newborn son flying.

"Okay, son. Let's meet your Ma, yeah?" he continued to whisper, and the boy's eyes looked at him very seriously, as if absorbing the words he was saying. "I am going to give you to your Ma, now. I think you're going to like her; she's pretty great and she loves you a whole lot."

He carefully handed his son to Fiona, taking a seat next to her on the bed. He watched as she stared down at their son, knowing that she was just as much in awe of the boy as he was.

"Oh Filip," she breathed. "He looks just like you."

"Yeah, I suppose he does," Filip smiled, putting an arm around Fiona and joining her as she gazed down at the tiny life they had created. It suddenly occurred to him, as he held his wife and watched her hold their newborn son that this image was exactly what he had been picturing every time he thought about having another baby. He heard a small click, and looked up to see Tara holding a camera. He smiled at her in thanks, glad that somebody had captured the image, before turning to look back at his son.

He had no idea how long they just sat there, staring at him, lost in their own little world. He was absolutely perfect, just as perfect as Kerrianne had been. Fiona was clearly the best mother in the word. She was holding their boy, and the look of love on her face was just unmistakable. He knew that he had been right, that as soon as the baby came, Fiona would forget all about the pain and awful nature of child birth. Right now, she looked like it was the farthest thing from her mind.

"We did good, didn't we Filip?" she asked, finally breaking eye contact with the boy and looking up at him. He was happy to see that the look of love on her face hadn't changed.

"Aye," he replied with a nod. "We did really, really good. Mostly you, though. You did all of the hard work."

"You helped," she insisted. "Couldn't have done it without you, Love."

He didn't respond, instead, he hugged her a little tighter and kissed her forehead.

"He's really cute, isn't he?" Fiona asked, not looking away from the baby.

"Of course he is," Filip said. "He looks like his Da, so how could he not be?"

Fiona rolled her eyes, before saying, "It's not fair, really. I carried this boy for nine months and just nearly killed myself bringing him into the world, and there isn't a trace of me anywhere on this kid. He doesn't look a thing like me."

"He will, when he gets bigger than a loaf of bread. Maybe he will have your smile," Filip replied, trying to soothe her a bit, but really not complaining at all that his son looked like him.

"Oh no," Fiona insisted. "No, he needs to have your smile."

He wasn't going to argue with her. He was far too in love with this little guy to give a shit whose smile he ended up with.

"I love him, so much," Fiona whispered. "Thank you for knocking me up, Filip."

He laughed, before saying, "You're welcome, but don't count on it happening ever again."

They both turned their attention back to the boy in her arms who had fallen asleep at some point. The kid had just been through a hell of a time, what with being born at all, and Filip really couldn't blame him for sleeping. Filip himself was bone tired, but at the same time had probably never felt more awake in his entire life. He doubted that Fiona felt the same, and was pretty sure that she would have absolutely no problem sleeping tonight.

Tara approached them, and for a moment, Filip was startled. He had actually forgotten that there were any other people in the room. She gave them a watery smile. "He is absolutely beautiful, you guys."

Fiona smiled at her, "Thank you, for everything Tara. We really appreciate all you have done for us; for him. I don't think we would have been able to do this without all of your help."

Tara started to argue, before Filip cut her off. "No, Tara. She's right. He wasn't crying, and then he was, and that was because of you. So just say 'you're welcome' and be done with it."

"You're welcome, then," Tara replied with a smirk. "He just needed a little stimulation, needed his lungs suctioned, and he was fine."

"He's better than fine," Fiona argued. "He's perfect."

Filip wholeheartedly agreed with her. They were both about to be caught up in staring at their son again, when Tara interrupted, asking, "Does this guy have a named?"

"I've been wondering that myself. Fiona?" he asked.

She smiled brightly, never looking away from her son, before replying, "His name's Filip, of course."

As flattered as he was, he couldn't help but groan, "Come on Fi, no. Don't do that to the poor boy."

"Why not? I like Filip!" she argued, knowing that she would get her own way in the end.

"I don't, and I would know, it's my name," he continued to complain.

"Too bad, it's a boy, so it's my choice," she said happily. "Besides, we won't actually call him that."

"We won't?" he asked, a little bit confused.

"No," she explained. "We'll call him by his middle name."

"Ah," he said, just a bit relieved. It wasn't that he minded sharing a name with his son, but he had never planned on a junior. "What will his middle name be, then?"

"Adam. I think that would be a good name for you, little boy," Fiona said. She looked up at him, "Don't you think that he looks like an Adam?"

Filip had no idea how she did it, but Fiona had once again chosen the perfect name for their child. He did look like an Adam. Filip reached out and touched the sleeping boy, before replying, "Aye, he does. Adam he will be."

"Adam…I like it," Tara smiled. "So here's what we're going to do. We are going to take Adam for a few minutes to do some routine testing, record his vitals, give him a good cleaning, and all that fun stuff. Usually, it takes about fifteen, twenty minutes. Fiona, Dr. Lake is going to finish up with you, you can get washed up and more comfortable and we will move you back to the regular room. Chibs, you have about a hundred people in the waiting room, maybe you should go give them the good news."

As much as Filip didn't want to let his son out of his sight, he knew that he should at least go tell Kerrianne about her little brother and he sure as hell didn't want to know what "finish up" meant.

"You'll be with him?" he asked Tara. Adam was only a few minutes old, and Filip could already feel himself becoming a ridiculously overprotective father. He trusted Tara to look out for the boy.

"For most of the time, absolutely," she assured him. "Listen guys, he is okay. We just need to borrow him for a few minutes, get all of this stuff out of the way, and then we will bring him right back. I promise."

"Yeah, okay then. I wouldn't mind cleaning up," Fiona said, before leaning down and kissing the boy on his forehead. "Hurry back, little one."

Filip took Adam from his mother, really just wanting to hold him again for a moment. He had a feeling that there would be many squabbles over who got to hold him and when. He placed his own kiss on the wee boy's head before handing him over to Tara. Filip turned back to Fiona, who was still watching the door.

"We have a son, Filip," she said, sounding just as amazed as he felt.

"I know we do," he said. "Have I told you yet that I am so goddamned happy? I really am, Fi."

"Good," she told him with a grin, "so am I. Are you going to go get our girl for me?"

"Aye," Filip nodded. "Are you sure you are going to be okay? You don't want me to stay?"

"Good Lord, no," she told him. "I don't even want to be here for this, Filip. Go tell everybody about our son. But Kerrianne first, okay? Bring her back with you. I can't wait to see her."

"You've got it," he said, leaning down and kissing her. "Pretty good day, right?"

"Yes, dear," she smiled. "Great day. Now go, and you hurry back, too!"

Filip shot one final grin, over his shoulder, as he left the room. Right now, he was on top of the world.


	37. Chapter 37

**Sorry for no update yesterday guys. Long day at work and all! Here is Chapter 37. Shorter than usual today, sorry about that. Anyway, thank you for reading, I hope that you enjoy! Please review if you have a minute. Thanks!**

Filip was on cloud nine as he made his way to the waiting room. He shot smiles at every person he passed, alarming some of them, he was sure. It didn't matter. He had an amazing, insanely gorgeous wife. He had a teenage daughter who was, by and large, one of the most awesome kids that he had ever met. He had friends, brothers, that he could count on for anything. To top it all off, he had a healthy, beautiful baby boy. He was pretty sure that he had never been this happy in his entire life.

He stopped, just outside the waiting room, and listened for a moment. He could hear some of the guys laughing and joking with each other. It sounded like that might have a game of cards going. He could hear Kerrianne talking with Gemma and Juice about school and debating the pros and cons of taking home economics next semester. The television in the corner was tuned to some sports network, blaring the scores from games, and Opie and Jax were arguing over whether the Raiders would ever be considered a good team again. It seemed as if the gang was all here.

He opened the doors, and nobody immediately noticed him. He just stood and watched them all for a few minutes. They were all gathered in the middle of the room, leaving the rest of the hospital visitors hovering around the edges, looking either terrified or envious. Tig, Clay, Happy, and Uncer were indeed involved in a rousing game of poker in the center of the room. Piney and Bobby were three sheets to the wind, discussing whether or not Elvis might still be alive. Everybody else was talking, laughing, and enjoying being together.

He couldn't say why, but everything seemed so very different now. It was as if he were looking at the world with different eyes. It wasn't just his daughter, Kerrianne, who was sitting there. Now, she was an older sister; when he looked at her, he saw nothing but potential. When he looked at her, he saw each and every thing she could grow up to be. When he looked at the guys, his brothers, he didn't see a group of idiots, like he usually did. He saw loyal men, who would die to protect each other and who would do absolutely anything for his children, his wife, if it came down to it. He saw Gemma, who was annoying and more than a little bit crazy, but she was also a woman who would go to the ends of the earth for the people she loved. These people in this room, they were his family, and he loved each and every one of them.

Kerrianne was the first person to notice him. It was almost as if she sensed him in the room. As soon as her eyes met his, she was on her feet and rushing towards him. It was only a matter of seconds before her arms were around him. He couldn't help but hug her right back. He was holding his child; his older child. He laughed and hugged her tightly.

"Da, is everything okay?" she asked him, clearly sick of waiting for news.

He just nodded and continued to laugh.

"Am I a big sister, then?" she questioned, becoming more excited by the minute.

"Aye, you are," he told her, unable to lose the grin on his face.

"And Ma is okay? The baby is okay?" she shot at him, nowhere near done with her questions.

"They are both great," he responded.

"So? Do I have a sister, or do I have a bother?" she eagerly asked, becoming more and more impatient.

He looked around and noticed that every eye in the room was on the two of them. He wanted to yell, to shout it to anybody would listen, but he had promised Fiona. Kerrianne needed to know first. She should and would be the first to hear this.

Filip wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him again, so that he could whisper in her ear, "You have a baby brother, Darlin."

What he hadn't counted on was the squeal that greeted his news. He should have known, should have remembered that nobody in the world made noises more high pitched than excited teenage girls. She was screeching and jumping up and down and hugging him and crying, all at the same time. Just when he felt like he might throw up, he finally got her to stop.

"Really?" she asked, looking at him for clarification. He just nodded, not sure that he could handle many words right now.

Without a second thought, Kerrianne turned to the waiting masses, announcing to anybody who would listen, "I have a little brother!"

The noise that greeted her announcement was outrageous. There were cheers and shouts of congratulations. The crowd swarmed, eager to hug him and slap him on the back, but they were all held at bay by the glare of a fourteen year old girl. She wasn't done questioning him yet.

"You said Ma is okay?" she wanted to know.

"Ma is great, Darlin. She is getting cleaned up right now and then you can see her," he assured his daughter.

"And my brother is alright?" she continued.

"Oh, he is great. A strong, healthy boy," he told her.

"Is he cute? Who does he look like?" she wondered.

"He is really fucking cute. You'll see him, soon," he promised her. "Ma wants you to come meet him, in a few minutes. Are you up for that?"

"Yeah," she said, "Of course. I am going to go buy an 'I'm A Big Sister' shirt…in blue!"

"Yeah, okay, just be back here in about ten minutes. We should be able to go in and see your Ma around then," he told her. He took his wallet out and handed her money. "Buy some flowers for your Ma, yeah?"

She nodded and turned and made her way towards the elevators, finally allowing the rest of the guys close in. She hadn't gotten too far, before she stopped and turned back towards him, yelling "Da! Does my little brother have a name?"

He broke out of a hug from Juice, and nodded. "Aye, his name is Adam."

Within another moment, he was engulfed in hugs again. Clay handed him a cigar, which he surprised him, as Clay almost never gave away his prized cigars. Happy reminded him of his offer to babysit. Juice was just grinning, looking for all the world like he was the one who had just gotten a little brother. Jax and Opie were standing back, grinning and remembering how awesome it felt to have a son. Tig was complaining that he hadn't managed to have another 'hot daughter'. Piney was passing his tequila filled water bottle around in a toast.

Gemma captured him in a hug, which he returned. "A little boy, Honey?"

"A little boy, Gem," he replied, with a grin.

"How much does he weigh? Who does he look like? When can we meet him?" she peppered him with questions.

"He weighed seven pounds and then some, I don't remember exactly," Filip told her.

"And he looks just like Chibs," came Tara'a voice from behind him.

"Hey doc! I everything okay?" Filip asked, just a little worried.

"Yeah, don't worry, Adam is fine. He hasn't stopped crying since we took him," she told him with a smile. "He is pretty eager to get back to his parents. And he weighed seven pounds and six ounces, Chibs. And he was 20 inches long. You should probably remember that; Fiona will hit you if you don't."

"Aye, yeah, thanks for that," he said seriously. "Fi wants Kerrianne in there first for a while, give her a chance to meet her brother and all, then I suppose everybody else can come in. I don't think that the hospital rules will allow all of you to come in and see him. If only we knew a doctor here."

They all turned to look at Tara, who was laughing. "Like I have any control over any of you. Nobody will say anything, just try and stay quiet and don't break anything. The nurses are cleaning him up right now. He really is super cute. He gives Abel and Thomas a run for their money."

"Looking like this guy? I doubt it," Jax said, coming up from behind him and slapping him on the back.

"You'll see," Tara said, hugging her guy. "Chibs, you can go back in and see Fiona whenever you want. They finished stitching her up, and she should be just about done; she was getting washed up when I was in there."

"Stitching her up? What do you mean? Why did she need stitches?" he asked, panicked.

"Ummm, I am sure if you think about it hard enough, you can figure it out," she said, causing him to groan when he finally understood. She just laughed.

"I brought you some Band Aids for your hand, kind of figured you wouldn't want to bleed all over your cute little son," she said, handing over the bandages.

"Yeah, thanks Tara. You're saving all sorts of lives today," he smirked at her. "I am going to go wash my hands and do what I can with these Band Aids. Send Kerrianne in when she gets back?"

"You've got it, Honey," Gemma told him with a smile. "I am going to call Lila. Now that we know you have a boy, we need to start planning a baby shower. You're helping too, Tara. This little boy is going to need clothes and toys and all sorts of things!"

"Yeah, okay," he said, before turning and whispering to Tara, "Try to keep her reined in, okay?"

They all shared a laugh, before he turned to go attend to his wounds and go see his wife.


	38. Chapter 38

**Hi guys! Sorry that I have not been great about updating as regularly lately. Work has been exhausting and is really taking its toll on my these days. Have no fear, though! The chapters will keep coming! Thanks for reading and I hope that you all enjoy the chapter! REVIEW!**

Filip knocked softly on the door before going in, wanting to give her some notice of his arrival. Fiona was dressed in clean pajamas and was resting comfortably in bed. Her eyes were closed, but the smile on her face was too large, too vivid, for him to believe that she was sleeping. The change between the Fiona in front of him and the Fiona he had left was remarkable. She had clearly washed up and somehow managed to control her hair. He was happy to note that she had managed to scrape his blood out from under her fingernails. She had literally just given birth, less than an hour ago, and she look radiant.

She opened her eyes and caught him staring. She reached a hand out to him, and he eagerly came forward and took it.

"Hey," he said. He took a seat next to her on the bed, and kissed her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Hello, Love," she smiled at him. "I feel more exhausted than I have ever felt in my life, but I am also really great. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I am fine, now that I have my Band Aids," he smirked. "I hear that there was some stitching that happened. Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yes, Love," Fiona insisted. "I am absolutely fine, I promise. I just wish they would bring him back in! Did you tell Kerrianne?"

"Yeah, I told her. She screeched in my ear, she was so excited," he reported. "She will be here in just a few minutes, she went to the gift shop."

Fiona smiled at him, and he found himself completely unable to contain his own grin. She leaned her forehead against his, saying, "We have two children, Filip. A half grown girl, and a wee baby boy. Can you believe it?" she asked.

He took the opportunity to kiss her soundly before putting an arm around her shoulder and responding, "Not really, no. Seems like just yesterday, we were stupid kids, and now look at us. Here we are, thirty years, and three kids later."

"Here we are," she agreed with him. "I just happen to love where we are."

"Me too," he smiled, kissing her on the forehead.

The moment was interrupted by the door opening. A nurse wheeled in a little clear cradle with Adam inside, screaming his lungs out. Filip knew that he would never, ever complain about his son crying. The minute or so after his birth, when he was not crying, had done enough to scare the life out of him, and Adam's cries were a sound he would always treasure.

Without hesitation, Filip stood and went to pick up his son, thanking the nurse for returning him safely. Adam responded almost instantaneously. No sooner was he in his father's arms than the tears and wails stopped.

"I think it's safe to say that he likes you," Fiona said from her place on the bed. "Now bring him to me. I want to hold him."

"Adam, your mother is trying to hog you," Filip said softly to the boy in his arms. "Tell her you want to stay with Da for a minute."

"Fine, you can keep him for a minute," Fiona conceded. "But only because the sight of you two together makes me weak in the knees."

"Good thing you're laying down then," he winked at her.

The nurse quietly made to leave the room, just as Kerrianne barged in, not nearly as quietly. She was wearing her new shirt that said "I'm the BIG sister" in obnoxious, childlike lettering and carrying a bouquet of flowers. She took a moment to survey the room. She noticed her Ma lying in bed. She saw her Da slowly pacing the room with a tiny bundle in his arms.

"Hi," was all that she could think to say. She saw her Da nod at the bed, and knew that he was telling her to see her Ma, first. Kerrianne didn't need to be told twice. She went to her mother and gently embraced her.

"Hello, Baby," Fiona smiled at her daughter.

"Ma," Kerrianne started. "Are you okay?"

"Never better," Fiona assured her. She patted the bed next to hear, telling Kerrianne to sit. "Do you want to meet your brother?"

Kerrianne nodded. She looked both anxious and excited. Filip walked over, carrying Adam with him.

"Now Adam," he began to explain, "I am going to give you to Kerrianne. She is your sister, and I think that you are going to love her. She will be the best big sister that there has ever been."

Filip gently handed the wee baby to Kerrianne, who looked extremely nervous.

"Am I holding him right? Is this okay?" she asked.

"You're doing fine, Darlin," Fiona said, clearly loving the sight of her daughter meeting her baby brother.

Kerrianne smiled, before looking down at the baby in her arms. The two children just stared at each other for a long time. It was almost like they were carrying on a conversation with one another; a conversation that neither parent was privy to.

"Wow," Kerrianne whispered. She gently stroked his cheek with the tip of her pinky finger. "Guys, he is just…wow."

Neither parent replied, but Kerrianne didn't notice. She was too enthralled with her tiny brother. Filip took a moment away from staring at the two of them so that he could hand his wife a tissue. She was, of course, crying, and he really couldn't blame her. It was hard to look at his two children together and not choke up just a little.

Completely ignoring everybody else in the room, Kerrianne started talking to Adam. "I am your sister, Adam. You are I are going to be the very best of friends. I am going to teach you all sorts of cool stuff, like how to ride a bike and how to read and how to curse. I will help you with your homework and get you out of trouble when you are older, but I am also going to show naked baby pictures to all of your girlfriends, because that's just what older sisters do. But I will never, ever change your diapers, because that is not part of my job description."

That had both of her parents laughing and Kerrianne smirking.

"He is really great you guys," Kerrianne told her mother and father.

"We think so," Filip replied.

Kerrianne spent the next few minutes getting to know her little brother. She was amazed at his tiny fingers, his tufts of black hair, and his general charm. She was completely enamored with him, until his lower lip began to tremble. Within seconds, he had let loose a wail louder than any Kerrianne had ever heard.

"Oh God," she said, full of panic. "What is wrong? What did I do?"

Fiona and the nurse laughed, before the nurse spoke up, "Usually, we try and encourage the mothers to feed the babies about now. Unfortunately, you won't be much help with that."

"Are you hungry, boyo?" Filip asked, walking over and taking Adam, before gently handing Fiona their son. "I really can't help too much with that either, but your Ma can, so I guess I won't complain too much about giving you up. Make sure to eat enough for both of us, yeah?"

Fiona was smiling at him as he handed Adam over to be fed. It was the same look she always gave him when she watched him with Kerrianne; a look that told him that he was doing a good job, that he was a good father.

"Tell your Da to be patient Adam," Fiona said to the baby. "He can have you back as soon as you are finished, but he should probably prepare, because there are a lot of people that are going to want to hold you. So Da is just going to have to wait his turn, isn't he? After all, Adam, there will be plenty of time in the middle of the night when you wake up screaming, and Da can hold you then, can't he?"

Filip laughed as he watched Fiona prepare to feed Adam. Some people, such as Kerrianne who hightailed it out of the room, were uncomfortable with it, but Filip had always thought that there was something extraordinary about watching his wife feed their children. Mind you, he would never, ever admit it out loud to anybody, especially not the leather clad bikers in the waiting room.

"I think I am going to go head off the visitors for a few minutes, let the kid take his time and eat," Filip said, giving her a grin. "No need to worry, I will keep Tig away."

"Thank you, Love. Why don't you go make sure our daughter eats something not made of chocolate or potato chip," Fiona smiled. "And make sure you eat something yourself."

"I can do that," he assured her. "What about you? Can I bring you anything?"

"No, thank you," Fiona said. "You go with Kerrianne. The two of us will be here. Just try to give me some warning before the biker brigade rolls in here?"

Filip rolled his eyes at her and kissed her soundly, before trailing off to find his oldest child.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39, for your consideration. Read and please review, friends!**

He caught up with Kerrianne, who was waiting for him near the end of the hallway. He smiled at her and threw an arm around her shoulder.

"You hungry, Love?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he started to guide her towards the cafeteria.

"No, not really," she replied, as her stomach began to groan. That caused her to laugh. "Okay, so maybe a little."

"Great, me too. Let's go eat some of this delicious hospital food!" he said, as he led the way.

"It's got to be better than what my brother is eating right now," she pointed out, with a somewhat disgusted look on her face, before continuing, "I suppose that Ma is going to be doing that a lot?"

"What?" he asked. "Feeding your wee brother? Yeah, you see we kind of like him and want to keep him around for a while. Feeding him is kind of a key component in that master plan."

Kerrianne rolled her eyes. "Ha ha, Da. You think you're so funny. I meant the whole…topless, tits hanging out thing. Can't she just, you know, give him a bottle or something? Anything at all that would keep her shirt on?"

Filip was able to get quite the laugh from her discomfort. "Well, Darlin, I hope you aren't really thinking that I will be on your side with this one. I happen to encourage your mother to have her shirt off as often as possible. And I guess breastfeeding is what is best for the baby, so breastfeeding it is."

By that time they had arrived in the cafeteria, and were filling their trays with various edible things. Filip noticed that Kerrianne's tray was full of mostly potato chips and soda and peanut butter and jelly, so in order to make good on his promise to Fiona, he threw a banana on her tray and exchanged her chips for pretzels when she wasn't looking. He grabbed the largest cup he could find and filled it to the brim with coffee for himself.

"Yeah, but breastfeeding is not what is best for me. I am really thinking that bottle feeding will be much more convenient for me and my own person comfort," she argued.

"I hate to break it to you, Kerri, but it's not going to happen. How do you think that you survived for the first year or so of your life?" he asked as he paid for the food.

Kerrianne stopped in her tracks, so suddenly that he very nearly ran into her with his own tray.

"Please, Da, tell me that you are not serious," Kerrianne begged.

"Sorry, kid," he told her. "You were breastfed, too. Until you were about eleven months old, if I recall correctly."

The groan that Kerrianne let out was epic. "Oh my God. That is so gross. Why would she do that to me?!"

"Because she loves you. It's not gross. It's actually kind of cool; at least it is when you're not 15. Give it a few months, and you won't even notice," he assured her.

"Have I mentioned lately that I am never having kids?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I think I do recall you saying something like that," he said, before nearly burning his tongue on his cup of coffee. "Shit, that's hot. You have to admit, though, your brother came out kind of cool."

Kerrianne shot him a grin, "Yeah, he really is. I can't wait until he comes home and I can just hang out with him and hold him. My English teacher said that reading to babies when they are tiny helps them learn to talk and even helps them learn to read when they are older. Did you ever know that?"

"No I didn't know that, but I guess it makes sense," he told her with a shrug.

"Well, I am going to read to Adam all the time. He needs to get off to a good start. I think we will begin with Harry Potter, or maybe Pride and Prejudice. He will develop excellent taste and a love of good books at the same time. When he becomes an award winning novelist, he will have me to thank," Kerrianne smirked.

"Good plan, Sweetheart," he replied. "You know, your Ma and I are going to be leaning on you a bit for help. It's been a long time since we have had a wee baby in the house. There will be more chores and less time, which means more responsibility for you. Do you think that you are up for that?"

"Yeah, I can help out more. I like Adam and don't mind helping. Besides, I think I kind of owe it to you and Ma," she said, looking down at the table.

"Yeah, you kind of do, but it's not about that. It's about the fact that we are a family, and-" he started, before Kerrianne cut him off.

"Families help each other and take care of each other," she smiled. "I know, Da. But I was serious about the changing diapers thing. It's never going to happen."

"I guess that rules you out for babysitting duty," he said.

"Eh, not so fast. I can babysit. I will just call Juice or Tristen to change the diapers. It will all work out," she joked.

"How's that going?" he asked, truly curious. "Are you and Tristen okay?"

"Yeah, we're good," she reported. "Both of us are grounded for forever, but it is good to have a friend at school. We have some classes together and we get to eat lunch together most days."

"That's good, Darlin. We didn't ground you because we wanted you to lose all of your friends," he told her.

"Just the bad ones, right?" she asked, quickly with only a tiny bit of sarcasm in her tone.

"Exactly!" he said. "Seriously, though. Eventually, you will be ungrounded, and I hope that when you are, you can make better choices about who you spend time with."

"I know, Da," she nodded. "I know who my real friends are. Most of those stupid kids won't even talk to me anymore."

"I'm sorry, Kerrianne, I really am," he said. "I didn't want to make your school life difficult."

"It's okay, Da. It wasn't you who messed everything up; it was me. And I don't need those people around. I have enough to do with catching up on school work," she said.

"How is school going, anyway?" he asked. "Are those kids treating you badly?"

"School is going fine," she said quickly. "My teachers have been really cool, actually. They are letting me make up assignments that I missed. I got an A on my lit test a couple of days ago."

Filip noticed how she dodged his second question, but he let it go. "That's good, Darlin."

They were quiet for a few moments, both of them very busy, Kerrianne fiddling with a plastic fork and Filip shoving food into his mouth. He hadn't realized exactly how hungry he was. He thought about it, and he hadn't eaten anything in a good 20 hours or so. He figured Fiona was probably in the same boat, and decided that, despite her insistence that she didn't want anything, he was bringing her back some food.

"Da?" Kerrianne asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes, Baby?" he said, looking up from his food.

"Can I ask you some advice?" she wondered, sounding a bit nervous.

"Of course you can," he said, though he couldn't completely hide his surprise. He had always thought that girls asked their mothers for advice. He seriously hoped that she wasn't going to start talking about boys.

"So there is this girl at school," she started. "She likes that boy, Charlie; the one who likes me."

"Likes?" he questioned, probably more harshly than he should have. "How can he like you when he isn't supposed to be even thinking about you?"

"Trust me Da, I don't think that he is thinking about me," she said, with an eye roll. "He doesn't even look at me. This girl that I am talking about was very quick to jump on her opportunity to make herself…available to him. She has been going around school telling anybody who will listen that he dumped me and is all in love with her now. She is such a jerk about it, too, making sure to give really gross details whenever she knows I am listening. She's such a huge bitch. I think I might hate her."

"Oh, Kerrianne," he sighed. "There are always going to be bitches, Love, and there are always going to be stupid boys. This girl sounds like a common whore, and the boy doesn't sound much better."

"Right?" Kerrianne asked, actually cracking a half smile. "I am over him, but this girl is just being awful at every turn. What do I do about her?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe if you just ignore her, she will go away."

"Yeah, Da, I don't think that is going to happen. Mosquitos don't just go away when you ignore them, and this girl is an insect if I have ever seen one. I just want to smack her and be done with it," Kerrianne said.

"Yeah, but if you do that, you will probably get in trouble and lose your scholarship, and then think of all the shit she will talk, once you are kicked out of school. If that happens, she wins, Kerrianne. Just ignore it, let her run her mouth, eventually, people will get sick of hearing it."

Kerrianne was quiet for a moment, thinking on his words. Eventually, she looked up at him. She looked like she was considering something. After a moment, she asked, "Is that what you would do?"

He sighed, "No, probably not. But you aren't me, Darlin. You are much, much better than me."

"Not really," she mumbled, before taking a deep breath and exhaling. "Fine, I will ignore her…for now. If it doesn't stop though, Da, I can't promise I won't hit her."

"I wouldn't expect you to, Love," he smiled at her. "You may be better than me, but after all, you are still my little daughter."

He expected her to laugh, but she didn't. She was back to playing with the fork. She surprised him by speaking again. She didn't look at him, but he heard her voice.

"Da, I want to ask you something else," she said softly, and he could tell that she was nervous.

"Okay," he said, not really sure where this question would lead. "Go ahead, Kerrianne."

She looked at him, and the look in her eyes was unfathomable. Her voice was quiet, barely louder than a whisper, when she asked, "Did you kill Jimmy?"

He took a sharp breath. Of all of the things she could have asked, that was the very last thing he had expected. He hadn't thought about Jimmy, hadn't thought about what he had done to end the bastard, in a long time. He had never wanted his daughter to know about that, never wanted her to know what he was capable of when pushed far enough. He only ever wanted to be her Da, not a murdered. She had guessed anyway, though. He knew instantly that it would be no use lying to her. He wondered, briefly what she would think of him one she knew the truth. Would she be afraid of him? Would she be disappointed in him? He really didn't know.

He looked right at her, and he hoped that she could read what he was thinking, what he was feeling. He opened his mouth, and gave her the truth, "Yeah, Kerrianne. I did."

The fact that his answer didn't surprise her should have surprised him, but it didn't. Her face actually didn't change at all. She looked at him as she always did, and he was shocked to realize that she was looking at him like an adult would. He had no idea when his little girl had become an adult, but it had happened, anyway.

He wished that she would say something, but she didn't. She took a long minute to stew over his admission, to look into his eyes and try to pull out whatever truths she could. The moment ended with a nod. She just nodded at him and reached across the table and took his hand, squeezing tightly.

"Okay, Da," was all she said.

"Okay?" he asked. "Just okay?"

That made her smile. She shrugged her shoulders, before telling him, "Yeah. Just okay. I understand."

"You do?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I do. You did what had to be done, and I am glad for it. He never would have stopped coming after Ma and me; never would have stopped trying to hurt you. You took care of it the only way you could. It's done now, and he will never hurt anybody again," she said, before picking up her sandwich and taking a huge bite. She chewed loudly for a moment, and he sat and watched her, his mouth agape. She soon swallowed, and asked him, "Do you think Ma is done feeding Adam yet? I want to see her before I go. I have a ton of stuff to get done. His nursery needs to be finished and he will need clothes and toys and stuff."

Apparently, they were done discussing Jimmy, "Yeah, I think she should be about done now. We can go back up if you like."

"I would like. Also, I am going to need your credit card. Baby stuff isn't cheap," she told him with a smirk.

He managed a small smile, still kind of shocked at the previous conversation. Something suddenly occurred to him, and he felt the need to clarify something, "That's fine, Kerri, but listen. Just so we are clear, you aren't planning on killing this girl you hate, are you?"

She looked at him as if he had lost his mind, asking "What in the world are you talking about, Da?"

"Well, we were talking about you hating somebody, and then you were asking if I killed Jimmy, and if you put two and two together…" he trailed off.

Kerrianne laughed for a solid minute. When she finally stopped, she wiped tears from her eyes, saying, "Don't be absurd, Da. I'm not going to kill anybody. I promise. Now can we go see Ma? She is going to get a kick out of this story."

She walked away from him then, still laughing. Filip couldn't help but smile at his daughter. Filip knew that between her, his wife, and his new son, his cup was running over in more ways than one.


	40. Chapter 40

**Read and review, friends!**

Filip was collapsed across the hospital chair, wondering how he was still awake. It was only 9:00 PM, but he was pretty sure that he had never been more tired in his entire life. Apart from his all to brief nap, he hadn't slept in almost two days, and he was pretty sure he had been running on pure adrenaline for the past twelve hours or so, and it had just about run out.

The eight or so hours since Adam was born had been some of the happiest of Filip's life. Currently, the wee boy was trying his very best to fall asleep in his mother's arms, and he knew that as soon as he had, Fiona would be following as closely as she could. More than anybody, Fiona had had a very, very long day, and if ever anybody deserved to fall asleep for about three days straight, it was her. Unfortunately, he knew it would probably only be a few hours before Adam woke up, demanding to be fed once again. He knew that for the foreseeable future, neither of them would be sleeping for more than two or three hours at a time, but right now, he would take whatever he could get.

"I think he's finally asleep," Fiona whispered, doing everything she could to not wake her son. "I was beginning to think one of your brothers had given him some uppers or something."

The guys had finally been able to come in and see the boy. It was both amazing and nerve wracking to see his baby son passed back and forth between his brothers, and he knew he would not soon forget some of the images. Adam had thrown up on Bobby and threatened to do the same for Jax. He had fallen asleep for Opie and Gemma spent several minutes whispering sweet nothings to the sleeping baby. Filip had refused to allow Tig to hold the wee boy, as he knew damned well some of the places Tig's hands had been, and there wasn't enough soap in the world. He had begun to scream his head off as soon as Clay tried to hold him, and it was strangely Happy who has able to calm him. Filip had seen Happy kill in vicious ways, but none of it showed on his face as he held Adam.

Unfortunately, Juice had been the only one of the guys who had not been able to come meet Adam. Tara had found out that the boy had been not feeling well since his release from Stockton, and Kerrianne had let it slip that he had been running a slight fever that morning. She immediately slapped a face mask on Juice and booted him from the hospital, telling him not to come back until he had been completely fever free for at least twenty four hours. Kerrianne had seized the opportunity to force Juice to help her procure needed items for Adam, and the two had set off, with his girl promising to return tomorrow.

Tara had checked in about a half hour ago, to say that she was leaving. She told them once again that Adam was great and doing just fine, and assured them that there was an excellent doctor and team of nurses on duty for the night, in case they needed anything at all. With that, she had said good night and left to be home with her own boys, but not before getting a bone crushing hug and a round of sincere thanks from the grateful parents, who truly believed that she had saved their son today. Now, the room was empty of visitors. He and Fiona were once again alone with their boy.

"No worries, Love," he said. "I was watching them all very carefully."

"Of course you were, it's your job," she said, before a massive yawn overtook her.

"Do you want me to take him and put him to bed?" he asked.

"No, I want to hold him. He is just so small and precious," Fiona responded, softly stroking Adam's cheek as he slept.

"Yes, he is, but he will be just as small and precious tomorrow," Filip told her gently. "You need your rest, Fi."

"I suppose you're right," she admitted, placing a soft kiss on Adam's head, before allowing Filip to take him.

Adam's eyes opened briefly as he took a deep breath and prepared to scream, but as soon as his eyes met his Da's, he calmed quickly, closing his eyes again and falling quickly back to sleep, secure in the knowledge that he was in good hands. Filip stood for a moment, just amazed at the awesome amount of trust his son already had in him. They may have only met each other a few hours ago, but the bond between father and son was already well established. Filip placed his own kiss on Adam's forehead and placed the boy inside the cradle, making sure to cover him well, as he hospital room was pretty much freezing.

He made his way back to Fiona's bedside, collapsing heavily in the chair. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, eager to take just a moment to relax. He opened them immediately when he felt Fiona's finger brushing hair off of his forehead. She was smiling softly at him and giving him a look of absolute love.

"Are you tired, my Filip?" she asked.

"No," he came back with immediately, moving to sit up. "Why, what do you need?"

She laughed, before shaking her head, "Nothing at all, Love. Why don't you go home and get some sleep, Filip? Adam is fine; I am fine, so you don't have to be here. I know you have to be exhausted."

"Oh, I am," he agreed. "But this chair will do just fine for me. There isn't a chance in hell that I'm going anywhere. I'll be alright, Darlin."

"Have I ever told you that you are one of the most stubborn people I have ever met?" she wondered.

"I may have heard that a time of two, yes," he nodded. "It's what you love about me."

"That's true enough, I suppose," she said with a smile. With astounding effort, especially considering the fact that she had given birth that day, Fiona managed to maneuver her way over to the very edge of the bed, before looking at him again. "Lose the boots."

"What?" he asked, his mind clearly working too slowly to keep up with hers.

"If you're going to stay here tonight, you are going to stay up here, with me," she informed him. "But first, you have to take off the boots. You have a tendency to kick, and I don't need a bruised shin."

"Ah, Fi," he tried to argue, "I'm fine. You worked pretty hard today and you shouldn't have to share. You just rest, and I will be okay here."

"Not a chance," she said firmly. "I don't sleep well without you. I did work hard today, and that means I should get what I want, and what I want is my husband. Now come here."

Who was he to argue with her, really? She was right about deserving whatever she wanted, and besides, that bed did look much, much more comfortable than his chair. He didn't spend much time at all trying to talk himself out of it before standing up, toeing his boots off, removing his belt, and climbing into the bed next to her. Filip wrapped an arm around her shoulder and Fiona rested her head against his chest. From his new place next to his wife, he had a great view of Adam as he slept peacefully.

"Happy now?" he asked, with only the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Very, very happy," she said very seriously, placing a kiss on his cheek before resuming her place against his chest. "Look at that tiny boy, Filip. We made that. He's all ours."

"I know he is. I think we got another good one, Fi," he told her.

"I'll say," she said. "He's cute, too. Melts even the hardest hearts. I haven't seen Kerrianne smile like that in a long time."

"Yeah, I think she likes him," he agreed. "She is buying all sorts of things for him as we speak. She is still freaked out by the breast feeding and denies that she will ever change a diaper, but overall she's is really excited for him to come home."

"Is she?" Fiona asked.

"Yeah, she said so anyway. We talked for a while in the cafeteria," Filip told her.

"About what?" she wondered.

"A lot of things, really. She was mortified to learn that she was breastfed herself as a child, so if she is glaring at you in the next couple of days, that's probably why. She told me that she got an A on an English test this week, which is good news. I guess Tristen is still her best friend, even if they are both grounded forever. She is trying to break her recent habits and lose the bad friends. There is a girl at school that is bothering her, and she asked me what she should do about it," Filip filled her in.

"What did you tell her?" Fiona wondered.

"I said that she should just ignore it," he assured her. "But I have to say, she is probably going to end up decking the girl."

"Well, of course she will. She is your daughter, after all," Fiona pointed out. "Is it that stupid little bitch that is with that boy that you threatened to kill?"

"That's the one," he nodded. He felt Fiona sigh, and was glad that she would probably talk to their daughter about it at some point. He figured that he should spill the rest, just in case that came up, too. "There's something else."

"What else, Love?" Fiona asked, sounding more and more tired with each passing minute.

"She knows about Jimmy, about what I did," he admitted.

Fiona immediately raised her head and looked at him. "What? How does she know about that? Did you tell her? What happened?"

"We were just sitting there talking and all of a sudden, she just came right out and asked me if I had killed him. It was like she already knew and just wanted to hear me say it," Filip told her. "I am just hopeless at lying, so I told her. She was just…an incredible adult about the whole thing. Said she understood why I had to do it and that it had to be done to keep us all safe. It was really surprising, I guess."

"I think she has always known or guessed more than we gave her credit for," Fiona said. "And are you okay? With her knowing? You're not still feeling at odds about the whole thing, are you?"

"Yeah, part of me is relieved that she knows," he admitted. "And no, there are no odds. He had to die. I know that and you know that and now, so does she. Besides, if I hadn't done what I did, I don't think we would have that little boy right there. He's worth it."

"Aye, he is," Fiona said, with a yawn. "I love you, Filip."

He laughed quietly, kissing the top of her insane curls before closing his own eyes. "I love you too, Fi. Get some sleep."


	41. Chapter 41

**Hi again! Here is 41...I hope that you all enjoy! No joke, I was once witness to a conversation VERY similar to the one Filip and Fiona have in this chapter. Sorry if it offends anybody, but I couldn't stop myself! ;-) Also, the Filip/Juice conversation was something that has been planned from the beginning! Hope that you guys enjoy this! Please review!**

A day and a half later found the family ready to head home. Filip was in the chair, smiling and making stupid faces at his son, who was watching with rapt attention. Fiona, who had packed everything in her bag hours ago and was dressed and ready, was pacing the room impatiently, looking to make sure she had every last thing. Really, she was just incredibly anxious to leave the hospital, and even more anxious to get home.

Fiona had bounced back relatively quickly after giving birth, and if it weren't for the baby pretty much constantly attached to her breast, you would never know that she was a brand new mother. Filip, who had been present for Adam's birth, could hardly believe it himself. He was incredibly impressed that his wife was already up and moving around and doing things. He would have to make sure to keep an eye on her at home, and make sure that she didn't actually try to do too much, too soon. The last thing they needed was Fiona hurting herself.

"I wish they would hurry up," Fiona whined. "I want to take Adam home! I want to take a shower and eat real food and sleep in my own bed!"

"I know you do, Love. I am sure that the doctor will be along any minute. Why don't you sit down? Here," he said, standing. "I think Adam wants you."

He handed the boy off to Fiona and took a seat on the bed. He had recently discovered that one of his very favorite things to do was watch his wife and son together. She was the most natural, amazing mother that there had ever been, and he fell a little more in love with her each time he saw her holding his son.

"Is this your subtle way of forcing me to stay still for a few minutes?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Aye," he grinned back at her. "Is it working?"

She laughed, before turning her attention back towards Adam. She still hadn't gotten over exactly how much the boy took after his father. Adam had Filip's long face and high cheekbones. He had Filip's straight nose and perfect lips. The shapes of their eyes were the same, and Adam's eyes had darkened, and now the color matched Filip's as well. The baby's skin tone even heavily favored Filip. Fiona would pretend to complain about her son looking nothing like her, but she was secretly thrilled to have a tiny little boy that was just the image of her husband. She couldn't wait to watch this little boy grow up.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Tara and Dr. Lake. Tara immediately went to Fiona's side and started making baby noises, while Dr. Lake's voice boomed, "It looks like you are all ready to head home at last!"

"Yes, absolutely," Fiona quickly agreed.

"I can understand that," Dr. Lake smiled. "I see that the nurses checked vitals less than an hour ago on Mommy and baby, and everything looks great. Do you guys have any more questions before discharge?" asked the doctor.

"I don't think so," Filip answered. "And if we think of any, we know this one doctor who can probably answer them."

Tara smirked and Dr. Lake laughed. He took out a folder of paperwork and handed it over, along with a couple of cards. "This is just some general information, some frequently asked questions and do's and don'ts. This is an appointment card for his one week follow up, we need to see both mom and baby at that time."

"Okay," Filip said, as Fiona nodded.

"It will just be a general visit to check his development and weight, and check and see how you are healing, Mom. And are we going to have Adam circumcised?" Dr. Lake asked, as casually as if they were discussing the weather or baseball.

"No," Filip replied, at the exact same time Fiona said, "Yes"

Filip turned and looked at his wife as if she might have cracked. The look she was giving him was very similar.

"Why?" Filip asked. "Why would we want to chop our son's penis off?"

"Don't be dramatic, Filip," Fiona sighed. "It's not chopping it off. Just giving it a…trim. It's perfectly acceptable."

"Says the woman with no penis!" he exclaimed. "No! He'll be traumatized for life!"

Fiona rolled her eyes, "No, he won't be. He won't even react at all! We're in America, Filip. It's what American people do! If we don't he will be the laughing stock of the school as soon as somebody catches a glimpse in gym class. And besides, I read in Cosmo that most women prefer uncircumcised men."

"Are you using our son's future sex life as an argument to hack off half of his penis? Because I really don't think he'll have much of a problem. And what do you mean women prefer circumcised men? I have never once heard you complain!" he argued.

Fiona immediately realized that she had crossed some line in her husband's eyes, and immediately backtracked. "And you never, ever will. I am not like most women. This isn't about you or me, it's about him! He is an American boy, and American boys are circumcised. Abel and Thomas are both circumcised, aren't they Tara?"

All eyes in the room immediately focused on the doctor.

"Ummm…" Tara started, clearly uncomfortable at being a part of this conversation.

"It's not going to happen," Filip insisted, crossing his arms over the chest, looking for all the world like a pouting five year old.

"Listen, both of you," Dr. Lake interrupted, before Fiona could make her retort. "This is obviously a very personal, contentious issue. Why don't you take some time to think it over and discuss it, and give the office a call in the next couple of days and let us know what you decide. It's no big deal, either way."

"Fine," Fiona said shortly. She was still glaring at Filip, who was meeting the glare head on.

"Okay, well you guys are good to go," Dr. Lake said, brightly. "The nurse will be in with the wheelchair in just a moment to take you out, and before you even ask, it's non-negotiable. Good luck, guys, and we will see you next week!"

With that, he hightailed it from the room, Tara following as quickly as she could, leaving Flip and Fiona alone in the room. Fiona stood and took the sleeping Adam over to the car seat, gently placing him in it before doing the straps up, all the while steadfastly ignoring her husband. Filip sighed heavily, knowing that it was up to him to fix this, and quickly. Setting aside his wounded pride over her perceived complaints, he reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to stop and face him.

"Hey," he said, looking at her. "Can we fight about this later? Let's just take our boy home, yeah?"

She gave him a small smile, and he was relieved to know that she wasn't really mad. "Yeah, okay," she said, leaving Adam secure in his little seat and moving to stand between his knees and wrap her arms around his shoulders, pressing her lips to his, more than appreciative that he wanted to set aside their differences. She knew pretty much instantly that she was going to give in. "Is it really that important to you Filip?"

"Kind of," he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know why, but it is."

"Fine then," she said, leaning her forehead against his. "You win."

"I do?" he asked with a smile, truly surprised that it had been that easy.

"Aye, you do," she said, returning the smile. "I wasn't complaining, Love. You know very well that I have absolutely nothing to complain about."

"Good," he said, with a smirk, kissing her again before standing. "Let's get out of here!"

They pulled up to the house roughly 45 minutes later. Adam had spent the entire ride home screaming his head off. Fiona and Filip still couldn't help but smile at the sound. It was quite clear that their son preferred to be held at all times, which was fine with both of them, and they were quite eager to free the boy from the dreaded car seat as soon as possible.

Kerrianne was waiting for them, her faced pressed against the front window. She immediately abandoned her post and rushed out to greet them. She and Juice had been staying at the house for the past couple of days. Juice was feeling better and apparently no longer had a fever, but was wearing his face mask at all times. Under the supervision of Gemma, they and the Prospects had cleaned the house from top to bottom and had put the finishing touches on Adam's nursery. Kerrianne was proud of her work and couldn't wait to show it off to her parents and baby brother.

Filip and Fiona were embraced immediately by Kerrianne, who was bursting with excitement to have them home. They somehow escaped from her long enough for Filip to get the car seat out and for Fiona to grab her bag. He handed Kerrianne the carrier with her tiny brother inside and grabbed the bag from Fiona. He was pretty sure that she shouldn't be carrying anything heavier than Adam, and Kerrianne was too focused on her brother to offer any help with the bag. Fiona smiled her thanks, and the family made their way into the house.

Filip was the last through the door, and he was more than happy to be home. Kerrianne and the others had done a meticulous job cleaning and everything looked fantastic. Everything was shiny and sparkling, and Filip could smell something amazing cooking in the kitchen. There were flowers sitting on the coffee table, and Kerrianne and Juice had made and hung a banner reading "Welcome Home, Adam!" on the wall. Juice was nowhere in sight, even though Filip had noticed his bike outside.

Fiona and Kerrianne were working on taking Adam out of his seat, so that he would finally stop crying. Once he settled into his mother's arms, he calmed instantly.

"Here we are, Adam," Fiona said softly to the baby. "This is home."

"Everything should be completely and totally clean. People have been dropping off food, which is awesome. I put most of it in the freezer, but there is a lasagna in the oven. We finished his room up about an hour ago. I bought him some clothes and a bunch of people brought presents by, and I put them in the room. Juice is still wearing his mask, even though he is fine now, Tara said so," Kerrianne reported, before she stopped to take a breath.

"You did a wonderful job, Baby," Filip told her, as he kissed her forehead.

"Yes, you did," Fiona added. "Filip can you take him? I really need to pee, and then I want to go see his room! Wait for me?"

"Absolutely," Filip promised as he took Adam from his mother.

"Stay here, Da," Kerrianne demanded. "I want to go get my camera. We should have pictures of Adam in his room for the first time."

In the space of roughly thirty second, Filip had somehow found himself alone with his son, but that didn't last long. Filip heard the side door open, and a moment later, Juice walked in. He was maskless, but upon seeing them, immediately covered his face with an arm.

"Shit, man," Juice mumbled into his arm. "I didn't realize that you would be in here with the baby. I'm sorry."

Filip rolled his eyes, "Adam, do you hear your Uncle Juice? He is being dense again. The doctor told him he was fine, but he still hasn't come over here to meet you and tell me how cute you are. Maybe he just doesn't like you."

"What? No!" Juice interjected. "I just don't want to get him sick. I want to meet him."

"Then go wash your hands," Filip commanded.

Juice entered the room a minute later, hands apparently clean. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"Tara said its fine, so it's fine," Filip insisted. "Now come over here, meet your Godson, Juicy."

"What?" Juice questioned, completely stunned. "Me? You want me to be his Godfather?"

Filip handed Adam over to the gobsmacked kid, and then placed his hands on Juice's shoulders. "Absolutely. You are my brother, Juice, and you are always the first to offer to take care of my family when I need somebody. Fiona and Kerrianne love you, and you are off to a good start with Adam. There is no one I trust more. You'll do just fine."

"I…I don't know what to say," Juice admitted, still in awe. "Thank you. I'll always take care of him, of all of them, if you need me to."

"I know you will," Filip said. "I love you, Juice. If you do this, you're always going to be a part of this family. Do you think that you can handle that?"

Juice was choked up when he replied, "Yeah, man. I can do that."

Both men were surprised when they heard the click of a camera from the doorway. They turned to Find Fiona and Kerrianne, smiling at both of them. Fiona was looking a bit weepy, if Filip wasn't mistaken. The same could not be said of Kerrianne.

"Are you two girls done chatting now?" Kerrianne asked, innocently. "Because I want to go see my brother's room and then eat some lasagna. Now give Adam to me."

Filip watched as his daughter took his son from Juice, before heading towards the baby's room. Fiona gave them both a smile before she followed Kerrianne from the room.

"Dude, don't take this wrong, but Kerrianne is kind of mean," Juice observed.

Filip laughed out loud, before throwing an arm around the boy's shoulder. "Welcome to the family, Juice."


	42. Chapter 42

**Hi friends! Enjoy the chapter! Please review!**

It was just after 2:00 in the morning. The brick home on the corner of Cypress Avenue was almost completely dark, unless you counted the nightlight in Adam Telford's bedroom. The ladies of the house were sound asleep, busy with their dreams, but the men were not so lucky. Filip Telford sat in the rocking chair in the corner of Adam's bedroom, clad in nothing but an old pair of sweatpants, holing his son against his bare chest, rocking the silent but wide awake baby. Sleep was clearly not a friend to either of them tonight.

Adam had been home for several days, and had not allowed his parents much sleep in that time at all. It wasn't that he was a chronic wailer. He pretty much just preferred to be either eating or being held (by somebody that he approved of) at all times. To the newborn boy, the world was still very new, full of all sorts of wonder. Sleep was a waste of time for such an active mind, which explained why the wee boy was wide awake at such an hour, staring intently at his own hands. He wasn't hungry, he wasn't wet, he was just curious and absolutely wide awake

Filip could relate; he also found himself completely and utterly awake at an hour when no human should be completely and utterly awake. It wasn't blind curiosity that had him awake, however. Instead, it was an utter abundance of thought, feelings, and indecisions tumbling around in his head. He was sorting through a thousand different 'what if' scenarios and weighing each and every outcome and consequence. It was beyond frustrating and was getting him nowhere.

If a bright side could be found, it was the fact that at least it wasn't his family keeping him up until ungodly hours. No, things at home were spectacular. Adam was perfect. He was eating and sleeping and growing right on schedule. Kerrianne was perfect. She had stepped up more than he could have ever expected her to. She was doing well at school and bringing her grades up, as well as helping out at home. Fiona was perfect. Not only was she managing to feed and care for a newborn baby, but she was keeping the rest of the family together as well. With as much as she had been doing, he was more than glad to be the one up with Adam in the middle of the night. He figured that Fiona deserved as much sleep as possible.

No, it was his _other_ family that had him awake tonight, the one that spent most of their time clad in leather and shooting things. It was SAMCRO that was on his mind tonight; that was on his mind more often than not these days. He had a wife, a daughter, and a newborn son that he should spend his time worrying about, which was more than enough, but his Club was what dominated his brain these days.

The guys had been inside for fourteen months. During that time, he had counted down the days, weeks, months until his brothers would be out and things could return to normal. He had been so looking forward to normal; and now it looked like normal was farther away than ever. Something had been going on with Jax since he got out, and Filip had known right away that it was something huge. He and Jax were close; had always been close. Filip had hoped that sometime in the past week or so, Jax would come to him with whatever it was, but he hadn't, and now Filip had a pretty good idea of why.

Drugs and guns. Guns and drugs. That's what it all boiled down too. Filip knew that the guys would probably make some connections and deals in Stockton. He was well aware that there would be more gun business after what had gone down with the Russians, and things were bound to change a little bit after all that had happened. He had never expected this, though. He really hadn't counted on things changing this much. Things in the Club were completely and totally upside down and Filip didn't know how to make heads or tails of it.

Apparently in prison, Clay had arranged a deal to sell guns to a Mexican drug cartel. It sounded scary, but in reality, Filip knew that it was business as usual. SAMCRO sold guns to anyone and everyone who wanted guns, and it really should not come as a surprise to anybody that drug cartels wanted guns. As much as Filip did not really enjoy selling firearms to powerful, scary conglomerates, it was at least normal, and normal was what he wanted.

What Filip could not wrap his head around, could not get behind at all, was the arrangement to mule drugs. For as long as Filip could remember, drugs had been something that the Club had stayed far, far away from. Yes, they were all about marijuana in all of its many wonderful forms, but that was about it. Some of the members had a checkered history with drugs, and a few of the Crow Eaters were into powder, but that was about as far as SAMCRO got into the drug game. Selling guns was one thing, but it just didn't make sense for them to get this deep into the drug business.

Filip could understand why Clay was pushing so hard for this. Clay was an old man whose days bankrolling with the Club were quickly coming to an end. He could barely hold onto the gavel these days, and Filip knew that once it fell down for the last time, it would be a dark day for Clay Morrow. Clay was a man who liked control, a man who liked power and what wielding power could bring him. Filip could not logistically see Clay easily passing control of the Club to Jax. SAMCRO was Clay's baby. It was his legacy and purpose in the world, literally all he had. As fucked up as it was, Filip could understand. Money would certainly help to ease the painful transition for Clay, and with the amount of money they would be making off of the guns, plus the additional money from the drug muling, Clay could make a very comfortable retirement fund for himself, very, very quickly.

Something Filip could not understand was Jax backing it so hard, literally cashing in every favor he was owed and throwing every ounces of his considerable weight behind this deal. Jax had never been interested in drugs and the kind of heat that it brought. Filip had been around when Jax met Wendy and had seen all of the unhappiness that drugs had caused in that relationship. Drugs had dragged Jax's first wife into hell, and had very nearly taken the life of his first born son. Bright, happy, sunny Abel, who was so full of life, had very nearly never taken his first breath; and all because of drugs.

No, it just didn't make sense for his VP to be backing this insane deal so hard. Filip couldn't understand what would cause such a sudden change in his friend. He supposed that Jax had spent plenty of time in Stockton reevaluating priorities and figuring out what he wanted his life to be like upon release. Filip just could not understand how backing Clay and getting involved with a hard core drug cartel had somehow come out anywhere near the top of his life.

The truth was, Filip and Jax had one very significant thing in common. They had families. They had old ladies and children and people who depended on them. Yes, most of the guys had children, but those children were spread far and wide and probably couldn't have identified their father in a line up. Filip and Jax, along with Opie, were different. They had young children who loved them; they had people in their lives that wanted them around. If something were to happen to Jax, Tara would be left on her own with two small boys. Filip and Fiona had a brand new baby who literally had an entire lifetime ahead of him, a baby who needed his father.

Filip was well aware that that he and his brothers did illegal things on a regular basis. He was accustomed to this; it was a risk they took because they did what needed to be done. They had good lawyers and had been able to stay ahead of most charges. A few of them had done time, mostly short time, and had come out on the other end. There were, of course, exception. Otto, for example, had gone in for short time and would never see the outside again, but Otto was the exception rather than the rule.

If any one of them were to be stopped and caught with the amount of drugs they would carry for the cartel, it would be a life sentence, plain and simple. It would mean never getting out of prison, never taking a free breath for the rest of his life. It would mean not kissing his wife, ever again. It would mean never seeing his baby girl graduate, get married, or have children of her own. It would mean never seeing his son grow up and become a man. It would mean missing out on Adam's entire life, just as he had done with Kerrianne's.

There were some things that would be worth those kinds of consequences. Things like killing the man that had tortured his wife and child for ten years. Things like snuffing out a circus clown that liked to rape little girls. Doing things to protect family or loved ones or innocent children; those were the things that could justify going to jail for the rest of his life. But going to jail for money? Missing out on his daughter's life, on his son's life, hell, on his own life, so that Clay Morrow could retire and live the life to which he had become far too accustomed? That was not a bargain that Filip could make.

The truth was that, for the first time in a very, very long time, Filip had something that was more important to him than SAMCRO. He had his beautiful wife who he loved more than the world. He had his perfectly amazing daughter who was going to change the world one day. He had his breathtaking son who literally relied on him for each and every thing in life. He felt bad about saying it, but there was literally no way that his Club could ever compare to that. These three people and their happiness and wellbeing were worth more to him than the entire Club.

Sometime tomorrow, there would be a vote; a vote to decide the future of the Club. Really, though, it would be a vote to decide their futures, all of their futures. Fir the first time in a while, he really couldn't even begin to guess how this vote would end. He couldn't tell you where most of his brothers fell on this issue. He knew, though, that Jax counted on his vote. He loved Jax, the man was his brother and it killed Filip to think that, whatever Jax was planning on, his vote might throw a wrench in his plan. It was almost enough to make him want to change his mind; make him want to vote for this insanity, just so that he wouldn't let his brother down. Almost.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the almost silent sound of a yawn. He glanced down at Adam, who was rapid losing his battle with sleep. His tiny head rested against Filip's heart, almost directly over Kerrianne's name. Filip knew that he would have to talk with Happy soon about getting Adam's name added somewhere in there. He looked down at the tiny little boy in his arms. This boy trusted him; counted on him to be a father and take care of his family. That was something that he couldn't do if he was in federal lock up for drug muling.

Filip was a member of SAMCRO, but he was also a father to this gorgeous baby boy. It suddenly occurred to Filip that Adam would be looking to him as a role model, as an example of what a man should be. More than anybody else, it would be up to Adam to live with whatever legacy Filip chose to leave for him. Fiona was the love of his life, but in the Club's eyes, she was no more than an Old Lady. Kerrianne was his pride and joy; his first born. Kerrianne was, however, a girl, and the most she could hope for was to become an Old Lady herself someday, which would happen only over his dead body. No, it would be up to Adam to deal with whatever future the Club was planning. As the only living son of a long standing member, it would be fully expected for Adam to patch in as soon as he was old enough. If that future was what Adam chose, did he really want to leave his son to a Club that prized money over sanity? A Club that not only sold dirty guns, but ran dirtier drugs?

No. Filip knew without even a second thought that that was a future he did not want for his boy. Adam deserved something better, which is why no matter how loyal he was to Jax, no matter much he wanted to support his brother, he would never vote this in. He had no idea what would come from this vote, but at least he was positive that he would never back it.

"Are you getting tired, Adam?" Filip whispered. "Why don't you close your eyes, my boy? Just rest. Your Da's got you. I'm here, sweet boy, and I always will be."


	43. Chapter 43

**Hi guys! Here's the update. Also, adult content to be had here, so look the other way if you are too young. Please enjoy and review!**

It had been about two weeks since SAMCRO had voted to sell guns to the cartel and mule drugs for them in return. The vote had been very, very close, and there were parts of Filip Telford that still couldn't believe that it had passed. Those parts were quickly put to rest. This was what the Club had decided, and as a member of the Club, he was on board now, whether he liked it or not. They would be leaving tomorrow for a few days to set up delivery with some of the other charters and make sure that everything was running smoothly.

They would only be gone for three or four days, but Filip was worried. He didn't like the idea of leaving Fiona home alone with a newborn baby and only Kerrianne to rely on for help. He had always known that, eventually, she would have to be on her own with the kids, but he hadn't counted on it happening so soon. She had assured him, over and over and over again, that she was going to be fine, but that hadn't stopped him from enlisting Gemma, Tara, and even Lila to check in on her and make sure she was okay.

He had stayed up far too late the night before, just fretting and mentally making sure that Fiona had everything she might need for the next few days. He had finally dropped off to sleep sometime during the 11:00 PM feeding. It was nearly four in the morning when he was woken by the shrill cries coming from the baby monitor. He wanted desperately to ignore it and fall right back asleep, but he knew that he wouldn't. He glanced at Fiona. He believed for just a moment that she was asleep, until she opened her mouth and asked him, "Can you go get him and bring him to me? I don't want to move."

He didn't particularly want to move either, but for her, he would. Kissing her cheek, he climbed out of bed and stumbled through the dark towards the door, managing to only let ose two curse words when he stubbed his toe on the end table. Once he finally found the door, he made his way into the hall, shivering once as his feet hit the cold tile floor. He figured that he probably should have put a shirt on before leaving the warm, comfortable bed. The cold February air in northern California was unforgiving. He hurried down the hall to Adam's room, figuring that it was best he speed up with his task so that he could return to the bed.

He picked Adam up from where he lay, squirming and sobbing, in the center of his crib. The boy had somehow managed to come unswaddled in the night, like some sort of miniature Houdini, and Filip could tell that he was both cold and hungry.

"Hey there, Boyo," Filip whispered, picking him up, "I've got you. It's fine. Come on, let's get you a clean diaper. I don't think your Ma would be too thrilled if I brought you to her smelling like you do."

Adam continued to whine through the diaper change. Filip really couldn't blame him. It was bad enough being hungry, but being hungry, cold, and half naked couldn't be fun at all. Filip prided himself on his ability to quickly and efficiently change the diaper of a tiny, squirming baby. In no time, he was scooping Adam up from the changing table and carrying him back to his mother, stopping only briefly to adjust the thermostat.

Fiona still had her eyes closed when he returned, but Filip was well aware that she was awake, because she held out her arms for Adam as soon as he came back in. The boy finally stopped crying as Filip set him in her arms. Clearly, he knew that food was imminent.

"Hi there, little one. Are you hungry?" she asked, finally opening her eyes and smiling. She undid the buttons on her shirt, one of his old ones that she looked so goddamned good in, as Filip climbed into bed next to her. He leaned against the headboard and pulled the covers up, finally warm. Once Fiona had Adam situated, she curled into his arms and rested against him, making herself comfortable in his embrace. This was their routine; during middle on the night feedings, she held Adam and he held her. It was one of the things he would miss while he was on the run.

"You're cold," she said, as she laid her head against his chest. "You should be wearing a shirt."

"I thought you liked me better shirtless," he smirked at her. "Besides, I don't like sleeping in shirts. They're itchy."

"They don't itch you during the day, but they do at night?" she asked, with a smile of her own.

"Yes. It's science, Fiona. I can't explain how it works," he insisted. This was definitely not the first time they had had this particular conversation.

"I think you are a little confused about what exactly science mean, dear," she retorted, looking up at him. "I am going to miss you, you know. Who will keep me warm during feedings while you are away?"

"Well, I could ask Juice to stay," he joked, squeezing her a little bit more tightly. "Or we could get a dog."

"Ack! No to a dog and definitely no to Juice. That would make Kerrianne so jealous," Fiona said.

"Jealous? Why would Kerrianne be jealous?" FIlip asked, more than a little bit leery of where this conversation was going.

"I think she has a bit of a crush on him, that's all," Fiona casually replied.

Filip groaned, "Why did you have to tell me that?"

Fiona just laughed, taking great delight in his discomfort at the thought of his little daughter having a crush on anyone, especially one of his brothers.

"No need to worry, FIlip. She will get over it. But even you have to admit, he is a little bit cute," she insisted.

"No, I absolutely don't have to admit anything of the sort. And by the way, he isn't allowed to visit anymore, not if you and Kerrianne both have a crush on him," Filip said.

"Oh hush," Fiona smiled at him. "I don't have a crush on anybody but you."

"Glad to hear it, Love," he told her. He was quite for a moment before he started talking again. "And I am going to miss you, too."

"Good," she said, snuggling a little bit closer to him. "I think Adam is done. I'm going to go put him back to bed."

"I've got it, Love," he insisted, taking the boy from her. "You stay here, where it's warm. I will need you to serve as my own, personal heater when I come back."

He made his way back to his son's room, watching as the soft sway of his walk lulled Adam back to sleep. He made sure to wrap the boy up extra tightly, so that he couldn't escape this time. Filip softly kissed Adam's forehead before placing him back in the crib. As he made his way back to his own room, where Fiona was waiting for him, he peeked into Kerrianne's room and found her sound asleep. He softly closed the door and slipped into his room, softly shutting the door behind him and climbing into bed, where he found Fiona wide awake and waiting for him.

"My hero," She said, wrapping her arms around him. "Saving me from the cold and getting out of bed."

"Nah, you get to be my hero," he insisted, "for warming me back up."

"Hmmm," she said. "Is that what I am going to do?"

He nodded at her, secretly loving their banter. She ran a warm hand over his face and into his hair, urging him forward into a kiss. He graciously accepted, knowing that nearly nothing could warm him up faster. She kissed him deeply, hungrily, eager for every last bit of affection he could offer her. He kissed her back, just as heavily. Her body gravitated close to his, and he rushed to place his hand on her hip, stopping her before she got too close. He groaned, ending the kiss.

"That's enough now, Darlin," he said, trying to catch his breath.

"No it's not!" she argued, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "Just kiss me again."

"Give me a moment. I'm a bit hard up, over here. Let me think about baseball for a while before you and your mouth make it any worse," he said, with a smile.

"Three more weeks, Love," she told him, making no effort to move any farther away. "I miss it, too."

He just nodded in response. The doctor had informed them, in no uncertain terms, that sex was absolutely out of the question for six weeks after the birth. This news was met with a general sense of dismay. Since they had rekindled their marriage, they had barely gone six minutes without being all over each other. It might not sound like it, but six weeks was a very long time, especially for Filip, who had always had a never ending supply of Crow Eaters at his beck and call. The last time he had gone six weeks without sex was when Kerrianne had been born. There were still Crow Eaters, and they all still offered him their services on an almost daily basis, but he had refused any and all advances. Yes, six weeks was a very long time, but Filip loved his wife and would wait it out with her.

"I know, Fi," he said, as he kissed her forehead. "It's fine. It'll go away in a minute or two."

He saw her face light up, even as her eyes narrowed mischievously.

"You know, I could help with that, if you'd like," she said with every air of an off handed remark. Her hand, which was making its way slow across his chest and down his abdomen, removed even a trace of doubt that she was being casual.

"Fi, no," he protested weakly, but made almost no move to stop her.

"Oh yes," she argued. "You are going to let me do this, because it is what I want to do. And besides, you will need something to remember me by while you are on the road."

She smirked up at him as she slid her hand inside of his sweat pants, stopping just north of his cock.

"Really, you don't have to," he stammered.

She froze for a minute, as if trying to decide her next move, before another glimmer of mischief overtook her.

"Okay, then," she said, very casually, removing her hand, but not before brushing the very tips of her fingers over his cock.

It only took him about a third of a second to wrap his hand around her wrist to stop her hand from moving any farther.

"Fi…" he said, his voice low.

"I thought that you wanted me to stop, Love?" she asked, very innocently.

He sucked in a breath, before looking her directly in the eye, saying "I didn't mean it. Don't want you to stop."

She smirked, yanking her wrist out of his grip and sliding it down to grasp his cock firmly, with well-practiced fingers. "Well then, Filip. What do you want me to do?"

He knew what she was doing; she wanted make him say it. She was well aware that she was the one in control right now, and she was relishing that control.

"Want you to-" he cut himself off with a quick breath, when her hand started moving slowly up and down the length of his cock. "Want you to make me come."

"And how do you suppose I should do that?" she asked, the smile still playing on her lips. Her full, wet lips; her lips that would look really fucking good wrapped around his cock.

"Your mouth," he said, quickly and forcefully.

"Mmm," she moaned. She was looking directly at him, and he knew that she was loving this power that she had. "I think I could do that, and all you have to do is ask nicely."

He was a man with no small amount of pride; a man's man who rode a Harley and worked as a mechanic and was in a goddamn biker gang. His pride was not a thing to be easily thrown aside, but at the moment, his desire literally bitch slapped his pride.

"Please, Fiona," he said, quite literally begging at this point.

"Please what?" she asked, dragging this out for as long as possible.

"Please suck my cock," he finally spit out, and he knew right away that that was what she had been waiting to her.

She slammed her lips against his in a brief, but intense kiss, before making her way down his body. She dealt with his sweats quickly and efficiently, grasping his cock again before her mouth overtook him.

For a moment, Filip swore he saw stars. It had been almost a month since he had any sort of sexual outlet, and Fiona's mouth reminded him, with unmatched skill, exactly what he had been missing. Her pace was fast, and his eyes never left her as her lips moved up and down his length, her tongue working in tandem. The things his wife could do with her tongue were completely amazing and mind boggling.

Her mouth was unrelenting, and between her pace and her skills and the fact that it had been awhile and he really, really wanted to come, he knew damned well that this would not last for very long. That was fine with him. He watched her as his pleasure built up, really hoping that she wouldn't try to prolong this to make him suffer all the more. She met his eyes, and he knew that she could see how close he was.

His eyes begged her to not slow down, to not stop a single thing that she was doing, and apparently, she got the message. Her gaze held his as she continued, and then he gave into a primal urge, and buried his hand in her tangle hair, guiding her head as she continued to suck him. They both knew that, given the first sign of distress of protest, he would stop immediately, but she gave him no such sign. In fact, she took him deeper into her mouth, and let out a moan.

It was that moan, and the vibrations it sent through his cock, that finally did him in. When he came, he came hard. To her credit, she took it, drinking him in completely, her tongue never stopping. Once he was completely finished, her movements slowed and she released him from her mouth and moved to settle next to him on the bed.

Filip was almost sure that he had just had a heart attack or a stroke or something similar. His arms and legs felt like jelly, and he was pretty sure his bones just didn't exist anymore. Yet, he was somehow grasping his wife, wrapping her tightly in his arms, peppering her face with kisses, and whispering his thanks and his undying devotion.

"See what good things happen when you just say please, Love?" she asked with a smug smile.

He somehow found two brain cell to rub together to answer, "Oh yes. Owe you big. Fuck, owe you more than big."

She laughed, "And don't worry, my boy. I will collect on each and every favor owed. Just three more weeks."

Filip really couldn't wait.


	44. Chapter 44

**Here is something a little bit different for you guys! Thanks for reading, and please review!**

It was official; Kerrianne was in heaven. Not really in heaven, as in dead and passed on and whatnot, but she was currently experiencing more of a heaven on earth scenario. She was finally, finally, FINALLY no longer 100%, full time grounded. Her mother had given her permission just this morning to go out with Tristen for a couple of hours this afternoon, just to go get coffee and study for their algebra test. But still, it was something that didn't revolve around home, school, or the Teller Morrow Garage, so for her, it was heaven.

They had actually given up studying a few minutes ago, and now only had their books and papers out for show. Neither of them would put it past their fathers to have somebody watching them from afar, making sure that they were where they were supposed to be, doing what they were supposed to be doing. Not that Kerrianne wasn't well aware that they deserved every bit of distrust and scrutiny, because they did. Right now, though, they weren't actually doing anything wrong. They were just sick of math and eager for gossip.

"I am soooooooo glad to be out of the house!" Tristen gushed. "This past month has been super lame."

"Tell me about it, but at least you have that sprawling manor house to be in. In my house, there is literally no escape. Everywhere I look, there is my Ma or my Da or a biker or my brother. It's kind of insane," Kerrianne complained.

"Shut up, you love it," Tristen retorted. "Besides, at least you get to go to the garage and hang out with hot guys. I can't leave my own property."

"Your own property encompasses half the town, Tris. Don't expect any sympathy from me," Kerrianne said, rolling her eyes. "And don't call the guys hot. They aren't, and it's weird."

"Whatever!" Tristen laughed. "They are hot, and you know it. Like, maybe not the old ones, like Piney and Bobby and Clay, but there is no way you can deny that some of them are hot. Look at Jax! That blond hair and those blue eyes. And, oh my God, his ass! Hey, have you seen his ass?"

"Oh yeah, Tris. My Da just brings his friends over all the time to walk around the house naked, just so I can see their asses," Kerrianne said with a completely straight face, before both girls completely lost it, cracking up. When she finally caught her breath, Kerrianne wiped her eyes, saying, "Jax is okay, I guess, but he's too pretty and he said something mean about my Ma once. Besides, he's really not my type."

Tristen smirked, "Oh that's right! I forgot, you're more into short, Latino guys with stupid haircuts."

That wiped the smirk off of Kerrianne's face. "Shut up!" she hissed. "I am NOT into Juice. He is just my friend. Besides, he is way older than me and I think he might be secretly in love with my Da. He literally does whatever my Da asks him to do. It's so weird."

Kerrianne was a little bit panicked. She and Tristen had never, ever spoken about Juice and her maybe not so secret crush on him. That was kind of the point of an unspoken crush; she literally never spoke about it, to anyone. It worried her immensely that Tristen had guessed enough to make a comment like that, even if she had been kidding. It made Kerrianne very, very nervous. If Tristen could guess that she had a minor, tiny, so small it was barely even real, crush on Juice, who else might guess? Her Ma? Her Da? Maybe even Juice himself?

She would absolutely die. There would literally be no living through any of them finding out that she thought there was something infectious about his smile, something very engaging about his brown eyes, something unreasonably attractive in the way he walked. Her Ma would start smiling knowingly at her, and try to have those annoying mother/daughter bonding talks. Her Da would get all overprotective and never let Juice come over anymore, that is if he didn't just outright kill her friend. And Juice himself would be insufferable, all full of pride and arrogance. Then, of course, he would move to making fun of her for even venturing to think that she might be good enough. After all, he was a grown man, and a very attractive one, at that, and she was no more than an awkward fifteen year old girl who was like a sister to him.

Kerrianne was well aware that she stood no chance at all, and she was fine with that, really. She didn't harbor any hopes or delusions that he might feel the same way. They were friends; good friends. And if it just so happened that her good friend was really, really nice to look at, then what could she do about it, really?

"Whatever you say, Kerri. He's hot and we both know it. Face it, you are surrounded by hot guys and I am stuck at home, all by myself, with no hot guys anywhere nearby," Tristen whined.

"Like either of you would know what to do with a hot guy if you happened to find one," a snarky voice spoke up from nearby. Kerrianne and Tristen turned to find the very last person either of them wanted to see. Alicia Bell was standing there, in all her underdressed, slutty glory. "I didn't expect to see either of you losers here. I thought you were both never allowed to leave your house again after your white…" she trailed off, looking Kerrianne up and down, "or maybe not so white trash bikers rolled in, completely ruining the party. If I were you, I would be too embarrassed to ever show my face in public again."

Tristen's face lit up with mortification and Kerrianne was glad that she had inherited her mother's skin tone. Her dark skin might have earned her racist comments from bitches like Alicia, but at least she wasn't neon red like her friend. Tristen might be embarrassed right now, but all Kerrianne felt was anger. She was angry that this stupid girl was here, ruining her first day of freedom. She was angry that Charlie, who used to like her, was standing next to Alicia, staring at his feet. She was angry that all it took was one word from this troll of a girl, and her best friend went from a lively, hilarious girl to a shy, mumbling wreck. Most of all, she was angry that this girl just refused to go away.

"Really? You would know a thing or two about embarrassment, wouldn't you?" Kerrianne shot at the girl. She knew that she should just keep her mouth shut, but she had inherited father's smart mouth and her mother's temper, so she really couldn't help herself. "I mean, did you even look in a mirror before you left your house? If you had, maybe you would have noticed that you look like a total whore."

Alicia looked for a split second like she might explode, before she thought the better of it. Kerrianne was surprised that the girl had two brain cells to think with. Instead of screaming out her rage, Alicia just turned to Charlie.

"Charlie doesn't think I look like a whore, do you Charlie? Charlie thinks I am the best there is," Alicia smugly retorted, clearly under the impression that she could make Kerrianne jealous. Kerri glanced at Charlie, who still couldn't take his eyes off of his feet. He look incredibly ill at ease, and also very much like a sheep dog. She felt like somebody should probably tell him exactly how badly he needed a haircut. Kerrianne couldn't even begin to understand how she could have been into him.

"And you are bragging about that why? We all know exactly what part of Charlie's body does all of his thinking," Kerrianne said, rolling her eyes. Her comment was met with laughs from surrounding people.

Alicia's eyes narrowed. "Like I really care what you think, anyway. All you are is a stupid, biker whore, just like your mom. You are nothing, your family is nothing. Everybody knows how that biker gang works; all they do is kill people and get high and fuck those trashy women who hang around there. Your father is a criminal, and probably a murderer too, and who knows if that baby your mother just had is even his, with the way they pass women around. Your dad is probably just waiting until you are old enough to trade for a pack of cigarettes."

Kerrianne really didn't know what came over her. One minute she was sitting at the table next to Tristen, listening to the stupid girl talk about things she had no business talking about, and the next minute she was flying out of her chair. She closed her hand into a fist with her thumb outside, kept her wrist loose, and connected with her knuckles, just like her Da had taught her.

The pain that shot through her hand when her fist connect was nothing when compared to the joy she felt as Alicia's skin split open beneath her fist. She knocked the stupid girl to the ground and hit her again and again and again. She didn't hear the gasps of surprise of the voices urging her to stop. She didn't feel Alicia's punches or scratches. She didn't see the open mouthed shock on Tristen's face, or the owner of the coffee shop rushing over to stop her. None of this registered to her. All she knew was that nobody talked about her family like that. She had had enough of Alicia, enough of her words and her hatred, and all over something as stupid as a boy.

She felt arms around her, lifting her off of Alicia and heard a voice tell her, "Enough, that's enough now!"

By the time the coffee shop owner had put her down and she had calmed herself enough to look around, all eyes in the shop were on her. The table had been knocked over, Alicia was laying in the fetal position, wailing, and Kerrianne was pretty sure that she was bleeding from somewhere. She was also well aware that she was probably in a world of trouble, but she really didn't care. Her Da had told her to ignore it, but she really doubted that he would have sat there listening to what Alicia had been saying without doing something similar himself. He thought for a moment that maybe he would be proud. She may not have inherited his poker skills but she sure as hell had inherited his fighting skills.

"If you aren't involved in this, leave, right now," the owner said, causing a mass exodus. All of Alicia's entourage had taken off immediately, Charlie leading the pack. Kerrianne gave a small smile to Tristen, the only person who had stayed.

"Now, I think we are going to need to get the phone and get both of your parents here," the owner said, pulling his phone out.

"What?!" Alicia yelled, and Kerrianne noticed that she had finally pulled herself out of her hissy fit on the floor. "You aren't going to call the police?"

"No, I'm not," the older man said, handing her the phone. "Call your mother or father."

Alicia huffed angrily and began dialing, while Kerrianne began the internal debate over which parent to call. On one hand, she could dial her Da, who had been warned about the possibility of this, but would likely roll down main street with his white trash biker gang. On the other hand, she could call her still hormonal, overbearing mother who was short on sleep and hadn't been laid in more than a month. As the coffee shop owner passed her the phone, she immediately dialed her father.

The phone just rang and rang and rang, until finally, she broke down and dialed her mother, getting the same response. There was no answer at the house, either. It was then that Kerrianne remembered that it was Wednesday afternoon, and both of her parents would be with her baby brother at the doctor for his one month check-up. This meant that she was well and truly fucked, as there was no parent here to bail her out of this.

Kerrianne really had no idea who to call. She could call Tristen's parents, and they would come and take Tristen home and never allow the two girls to hang out together again. She could call Gemma, who would come down here and probably scare the shit out of everybody involved and actually get the police called on her. She could call the garage and maybe get a hold of Tig, or Opie, or….Juice!

She dialed the number quickly, knowing it by heart, and listened to the ring, praying that he picked up.

Juice answered on the second ring.

"Hewwo?" he said, his mouth obviously full of something. Judging from the sound of rustling plastic on the other end, Kerrianne was better on Doritos.

"Juice? Listen. I am in trouble and I need you to come get me. Please help?" she begged, not liking the strain in her voice, the sound of tears threatening to break through.

"Where are you?" he asked, all business now.

"Parker's Coffee Shop on Main. Do you know-?" she started to ask, before he cut her off.

"I will be there in five," he said, and in the background, she could already hear him walking out of the garage. "Don't worry, Kerrianne. I will be there soon. I've got your back."

As he hung up the phone, the tear that started down her face were not tears of sadness or fear. They were tears of happiness over the fact that she was clearly in good hands.


	45. Chapter 45

**Here is the next part. This one is for the lovely Ambrosia Rush, who loves Juice and loves Kerrianne. She was having a bad day. Hopefully, this will cheer her right up! PLEASE review?!**

Kerrianne heard Juice's bike long before she saw it, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Alicia's equally skanky mother had shown up a moment ago and had begun yelling almost as soon as Mr. Parker, the coffee shop owner, had mentioned something about damages needed to be paid for. Alicia had become shockingly silent next to her mother, and for just a moment, Kerrianne felt bad for her. Alicia may have been a huge bitch, but it was pretty easy to see where she had gotten it from. Kerrianne had always known that she had lucked out in the whole parents category, but she never knew just how much until right now.

Not one, but two bikes pulled up out front, and Kerrianne freaked out for just a moment, thinking that Juice had somehow gotten a hold of her father and he had come. She calmed down instantly when she saw that it was only Happy, and he was hovering near the entrance of the shop, arms crossed over his chest, surveying the damage. He looked at Kerrianne and nodded one, giving her a small sign of approval. Kerrianne wasn't sure whether to smile or be terrified, because if Happy approved, it really had to be pretty bad.

A moment later, Juice pushed past his brother and entered the coffee shop. It was no time before Kerrianne found herself wrapped in a hug. After she caught sight of the smirk that Tristen was shooting her, she buried her face in Juice's shoulder. She took no small amount of comfort in this hug. She was scared and she was alone and he had come when she called. The relief she felt was tangible, and she knew that, whatever happened now, she would be okay. Juice would take care of things.

"What happened?" was the first thing he asked.

Kerrianne opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the shrill cries of the harpy that was Alicia's mother. "What happened? I'll tell you what happened! That girl right there attacked my daughter and caused an awful lot of damage to this shop. I hope you are going to pay for it, and I will need an address to forward my Alicia's medical bills to. Her nose looks broken! Looks like we can finally get you that nose job you have so desperately needed, Alicia. I should call the police, send that little psychopath to jail!"

"Is that what happened, Sam?" Juice asked, turning to Mr. Parker. Kerri had no idea how Juice and Mr. Parker were on a first name basis, but she was very, very glad that they were.

"That's not what I saw. I saw these two-" he gestured to Kerrianne and Tristen, "drinking their coffee and studying. They bought coffee and were hard at work, just minding their own business, and then the blonde one came up and started talking, and all of a sudden, the blonde one was swinging fists. It was like nothing I have ever seen before. This young lady was only trying to defend herself."

"WHAT!?" Alicia cried. She clearly had no idea exactly who she was messing with. "That is NOT what happened! Mom, they're lying."

"Tristen?" Juice asked, a completely innocent look on his face.

"That's exactly what happened," Tristen nodded, managing to look like a small, scared girl in an instant.

Alicia's mom opened her mouth to start yelling again, but Happy finally stepped inside from the door, unzipping his black hoodie and displaying his kutte, along with his .357 tucked inside of his jeans. The older tramp shut her mouth quickly, looking Happy up and down.

"You guys are Sons?" she asked, with much more tact in her voice this time. She turned to Alicia. "You were messing with the Sons, Alicia?"

"Who us?" Juice asked. "We are just concerned family members, trying to look out for our girls, here. We're sure that whatever happened was just some sort of misunderstanding, right Kerrianne?"

"Right," Kerrianne said shortly. She had a lot that she wanted to say to Alicia, but it looked like she was so very close to getting out of trouble without police involvement, and she would take it.

Juice looked over at Alicia and raised his eyebrows. Her mother elbowed her sharply in the ribs, "Ow! Yeah, fine. Whatever you say."

"We're so very sorry for any trouble. I am going to take my daughter home now. Nothing like this will ever, ever happen again," Alicia's mom insisted. She glanced over at Happy, looking him up and down as if he were a prime cut of meat, "And if there is ever, um, anything we can do for you boys, you make sure to let us know, okay?"

"Oh yeah, we'll be sure to do that," Juice said, and Kerrianne could hear from the tone of his voice that he was making fun of her, but she didn't seem to notice. She was too busy shooting what Kerrianne assumed were alluring looks at both guys. It really was a little bit disgusting.

They all watched as mother and daughter left the coffee shop, arguing back and forth the whole time. Kerrianne knew that she had dodged a bullet there, because if Alicia and her mother had gotten their way, she would be on her way to jail right now, and wouldn't that just make her parents proud.

Juice waited until the junior and senior bitch were out of sight before he turned to Mr. Parker and pullng a stack of money from the inside of his hoodie, handed it over to the older man.

"I'm sorry about this Sam. There should be enough to cover the clean up and damages, plus a little extra for your trouble," he said honestly. "Thanks for your help and thanks for understanding."

"It's no problem. Just a scuffle between girls," Mr. Parker said with a smile. "There is no damage that can't be quickly and easily fixed. That blonde trampy girl is a piece of work, I am glad that somebody taught her a lesson. Do you need some ice for your hand?"

"No," she answered quickly, even if some ice would probably feel really good on her hand. She had caused him enough trouble today. "I'm fine. Can I help clean up?"

"No, honey, I've got it. You gave me an excuse to close early and go home and watch some basketball. I appreciate it!" Mr. Parker insisted with a friendly smile.

"Thanks again, Sam. We owe you one," Juice smiled, before turning to Happy. "Hap, do you think you could make sure Tristen gets home? I am going to take Kerrianne."

"My Dad is down the road at the office. I just need to get there, and he will take me home. Can we, um, not tell him about this? Please?" Tristen spoke up. The last thing she needed was for her father to find out about this, and she would probably never be allowed to leave the house ever again.

Happy laughed, "I won't say nothing. Come on. Let's get you to your Dad."

Kerrianne hugged her friend and promised to call her later. She had no idea what she had done to deserve a friend like Tristen, but she was very, very thankful for her. When all of the other kids left right away, her friend had stayed with her. That meant more to Kerrianne than she could explain.

As soon as they had left, Juice turned to Kerrianne and placed his hands on her shoulders. "What the hell happened, Kerri?"

"I got so mad Juice. She was running her mouth and just talking total shit and saying things that she should not have been saying and I completely lost it. One minute, everything was fine and the next I was just hitting her and I couldn't stop. Mr. Parker grabbed me after a minute, but I don't know if I would have ever been able to stop hitting her Juice. It was scary, but I kind of liked it. It felt like she was finally getting exactly what she deserved," Kerrianne spilled out. It was complete word vomit, but she couldn't stop herself. "I was just studying with Tristen and we were having fun and talking. We were doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing, trying to not get in trouble again, because this was our first day not grounded, but then Alicia showed up with some kids from school, and she started talking and saying stuff about me and about Tristen, and we ignored it, I promise, we did, but then she started talking about the Club. She made fun of me being black and then she started talking about Ma and Da and saying that Ma was just a club whore and that Adam probably wasn't even Da's real son, and I just lost it."

Juice didn't actually look that mad. He just smiled and said, "Sometimes I forget exactly how much like your Dad you are, and then you do something like this and remind me."

"Well, what was I supposed to do, Juice? Just let her say that stuff? I couldn't. I don't really care if she talks about me, I mean, I do, but I can mostly ignore it. But I can't let her say stuff like that about them. They are my family," Kerrianne tried frantically to explain.

"I get it, Kerri, I really do. That's what I meant. Your Dad would have done the same thing," Juice insisted. "Anybody would have done the same thing."

"He's going to be so mad, Juice. So, so mad. I told him about Alicia, you know. He said I should just try my best to ignore her and not get in trouble. He is going to kill me," Kerrianne insisted, a little bit panicked.

"Kerri, he's not going to kill you. You did try your best to ignore her, it just didn't work out. What did you say when he told you to ignore her?" Juice asked, trying to head off her panic attack.

"That I would try, but that there was also a good chance that she was going to end up mysteriously dead," Kerrianne recalled.

Juice laughed, "Well, then at least he can't say he didn't have fair warning that this might happen."

That made Kerri smile, but only a very little bit. She took a deep breath before asking, "We're going to have to tell him, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Juice nodded. "There's no way he won't find out. But I'll go with you. It will be fine. He will understand a lot better than you think he will, you'll see."

Kerrianne nodded, hoping that Juice was right. She smiled up at him, "Thanks for coming. Ma and Da weren't answering their phones. They are at the doctor with Adam. I didn't know who else to call, and you were the first person I thought of who made sense. You didn't have to come, but you came anyway, and I am really glad that you did."

"Of course I was going to come. You're my friend and you asked me to. Besides, your dad would kill me if he knew you called asking for help and I didn't come," Juice shrugged. "I'm always going to come if you need me to. You know that, right?"

Kerrianne nodded, once again grateful for a friend she could count on. She wasn't even thinking about how cute he was or what her hair looked like right now; she was just glad that he had come.

"Just next time, call me in advance so that I can watch you beat the shit out of whoever pisses you off. People pay good money to see fights like that, Kerrianne," he joked. His ability to find humor in almost any situation was one of her favorite things about him.

"I did kind of kick her ass, didn't I?" Kerrianne asked, a small smirk developing on her face.

"Yeah, you did. She barely touched you. Nothing some ice and some antiseptic won't fix," Juice assured her, looking her over.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, even though her hand was really, really beginning to hurt.

Juice opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by his cell going off. "That would be your Dad. I left word for him to call as soon as he could."

Juice answered the phone and moved away to talk for a minute. He gave short, to the point answers. Kerrianne really couldn't hear much of the conversation at all, but she hoped that it was going well. She didn't want her Da to be mad, didn't want him to be disappointed in her. Juice didn't look too panicked, so she took that as a good sign. It meant more than she could explain that Juice was here, taking care of things. It did nothing to help her little crush on him, but that was besides the point. Soon, he was done, and he came to sit beside her.

"Your dad asked me to bring you home, and I said I would. It's a miracle that he didn't actually insist upon coming here himself. Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"I don't know. What did he say Juice? Did he sound mad? Like, mad enough to kill me? I didn't mean to make him mad, but-" she started to ramble.

"Kerri, it's fine. He just wants you to come home. It'll be okay, you'll. Let's go," he insisted, giving her a comforting smile, before grabbing her uninjured leading her out of the shop to go face whatever was waiting for her at home.


	46. Chapter 46

**Here is the next part, friends! Thanks for reading and please review!**

Filip was on the couch, cradling Adam. His son was clutching at his index finger and smiling at him. Doctors, Fiona, and anybody who knew anything about babies, insisted that this was a reflex smile, something that babies just did instinctively, but Filip really didn't care. His baby boy was smiling at him and whether it was genuine or just something that just happened, he loved it.

Fiona was not sitting rocking a baby. Fiona was pacing across the living room floor, her arms crossed over her chest in anger, worry, and about a million other things that Filip couldn't identify.

"What was she thinking, Filip?" she asked, stopping her pacing for just a moment. "A fight? She has never been in a fight before. What could she possibly have been thinking?"

"I don't know, Fi," he replied, looking away from Adam and focusing on his wife. "If it is the same girl she was telling me about at the hospital, then this fight has been brewing for a very long time."

"But getting into a fight? In a public place? And a pretty big fight, apparently," Fiona said.

"Well, Darlin, she is our daughter. I seem to remember you getting into some pretty big fights in your day," he commented, a small smile on his face.

"Yes, and I'm sure you remember what my Da did those times," Fiona said. "I am going to kill her."

"Fiona, Love. We can't. We can't get upset at her, not without listening to what she has to say first," Filip insisted. He remembered Fiona's punishments as well. He had liked his father in law very, very much, and that hadn't stopped him from wanting to kill the man for taking a belt to his girl when she was in trouble. "From what she told me, this girl had it coming. Let's just listen to what she has to say, and then we will decide whether or not to kill her. I don't want this to be another huge fight."

Fiona stopped pacing and just looked at him, letting her arms fall to her side, before collapsing on the couch next to him and putting her head on his shoulder. "I know, you're right. We will just let her explain, and then decide whether or not she lives."

He chuckled, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "I am going to go ahead and tell you that I already vote for letting her live."

"Yeah, me too I think," she smiled at him, kissing him directly on the mouth. He only ended the kiss when they head Juice's bike coming up the street.

"Remember, we are staying calm and listening to what she has to say," Filip reminded his wife. Fiona nodded, taking a deep breath.

When the door opened, Filip was surprised to see that Juice was the only who entered.

"Hey, guys," he said, dumping his keys on the table and taking a seat. "Kerrianne won't come inside. She is pretty upset, thinks you guys are going to be mad at her or something."

Filip sighed and leaned his head back. He was beginning to realize that being the father of a teenage daughter was about as far from easy as any job could be. It was something that he loved and wouldn't trade for anything in the world, but still, anybody who thought it was easy was just plain stupid.

"What happened, Juice?" Fiona asked, wanting to know what they were facing.

"It was bad. They were studying, I guess, and this other girl came up to them and started saying things, things so bad that Kerri wouldn't even tell me everything. She started talking about you guys and Adam, I guess, and Kerrianne just lost it. She went nuts on this girl," Juice told them honestly.

"How nuts?" Filip asked.

"The other girl has a broken nose, at least. Her face will probably never be the same," Juice said. "Happy was impressed, if that tells you anything."

"God damn it," Filip muttered. "And Kerrianne? Is she okay?"

"She seems fine, just scared and a little bit upset. She has a couple of scratches and I think she might have hurt her hand, but really, she's okay except for the whole thinking you guys hate her thing," Juice assured them. "Hey, can I hold Adam?"

"Go wash your hands," Fiona and Filip said together.

As Juice rushed off to wash his hands, Filip looked at his wife. "She is scared. She thinks that we hate her."

Fiona nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like her. You'd better go rectify that belief. Go get her, Love. I will take Adam, make sure that Juice doesn't drop him. You go out and get our girl. It's you she'll want to see. I know it."

He gave her a smile and a quick kiss before handing Adam over to her. He walked over to the freezer and pulled out an ice pack, figuring if Kerrianne had been hitting hard enough to break bones, then her fists were paying for it about now. He grinned at Fiona and Adam, before walking outside. He looked around the yard, but didn't see her. Following a hunch, he went around the house and into the garage, where he found Kerrianne perched on his workbench, tears running down her face.

He stopped in his tracks. His little daughter was crying, and it completely disarmed him. She looked up at him in that instant, and all she could say was, "I'm sorry, Da."

That was really all that she needed to say. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her and just held her. She hugged him tightly and just cried and cried into his shoulder, apologizing over and over again. The more he tried to calm her, to comfort her, the more she cried. Eventually, he leaned back, ending their embrace. He had to get her to calm down and to understand that she was going to be okay.

"Kerrianne, that's enough now. Everything is fine," he insisted, putting a hand on each of her cheeks, wiping her tears. She nodded once and took some deep breaths, trying to calm herself. "Now this girl that you mauled, is she the one you were telling me about?"

Kerrianne nodded her head. "I know that you told me to ignore her, Da, and I tried. I promise that I really did try. She had been in my face for months and months, saying things and doing thing; just all sorts of things. Never anything big; she would just say little things to irritate me and do these things on purpose, and I really didn't care. And then today, she just crossed a line and I really couldn't stop myself."

"Okay, Baby," he said. "Here's what we're going to do. You are going to put this on your hand, because I am worried about that swelling. We are going to go in and see your Ma, and you are going to tell us what happened, okay?"

"Jesus, thank you, Da. My hand is killing me!" she exclaimed through her tears. "Is Ma mad?"

"No, but she is waiting to hear what happened. It is going to be fine, Love. You'll see," Filip insisted, putting an arm around her and leading her out of the garage

Fiona was watching from the window as Filip lead Kerrianne into the front yard toward the door. She was relieved to see that her girl looked whole and relatively undamaged, though she did look absolutely miserable. At least Kerrianne was okay, and that was all she really cared about.

"Juice, time to go," Fiona announced. Juice had been on the couch trying to get his godson to smile for him. It had not worked even a little bit. The baby had just stared him down for about ten minutes, before ruining a diaper and requiring a change, which Fiona had thankfully handled.

"Oh, yeah, okay then," Juice said, carefully standing up as the door opened and Filip and Kerrianne entered.

Fiona immediately made her way over and hugged her daughter, as Filip went to take Adam. "Thank you Juice, for taking care of my girl. I appreciate you looking out for her and smoothing things over. You did good, son. I owe you one."

A shadow passed over Juice's face, but just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. He smiled, "Anytime, brother, you know that. Now here, take him, I'm gonna go."

Filip watched as Juice hugged Kerrianne, narrowing his eyes at the look on his daughter's face during the embrace. He would have to keep a close eye on that situation, although he was relatively sure he did not want to know anything more about his daughter's crush on Juice. Right now, he just rolled his eyes and put it out of his mind, before he went and put Adam to bed. Kerrianne needed their full attention right now, and Adam was content to sleep for 80% of the day, so it was fine.

He returned to find Fiona in the recliner and Kerrianne curled on the couch, holing the ice pack to her hand. They weren't talking, and were quite obviously waiting for him. He took a seat on the other end of the couch, before asking, "Okay, Kerrianne. Tell us what happened."

She looked up from her hand and took a deep breath, before starting. "I was with Tristen at the coffee shop, just like I said I would be. We had taken a break and were just talking, about school and stuff like that. I swear, we weren't doing anything we weren't supposed to be doing. Anyway, we were talking and all of a sudden, this girl Alicia, just appeared out of nowhere. She said something awful, which was fine. I am used to itt; she is always being awful. I should have kept my mouth shut and ignored her, but she embarrassed the hell out of Tristen. We could have just gone somewhere else to get away from her, but we weren't supposed to leave the coffee shop, you made me promise, Ma, and besides, I was sick of running. She just kept talking and saying things and I just got madder and madder. I may have said some things back to her, and it just made it worse. It got to the point where I knew that if I didn't leave, something bad was going to happen. Then she started talking about the Club and you guys. She started saying things about my family and I just lost it."

"What was she saying, Kerrianne?" Fiona asked. Filip was tense. He had a feeling that he already knew, in general, what was said, and knew that he wouldn't like what she was about to say.

"She said that I was probably a whore, and that you were one too, Ma. She said that-" she stopped and looked nervously at her Da before continuing. "She said that all of the women around the Club were whores and that they just passed women around. She said that Adam probably wasn't even Da's son, and that when I got old enough, you would probably just trade me for a pack of cigarettes, Da."

"What a little bitch!" Fiona exclaimed. Kerrianne stared at her wide eyed for a moment, before she let out a soft giggle. "I am glad you hit her, Kerrianne, because if you hadn't, I would go do it right now."

The girls were both smiling, which he was glad for, but Filip couldn't shake the guilt that he was feeling. His daughter had gotten into what looked like a serious fist fight defending him and his Club. He had put her in that position, not purposely, but it didn't really matter. She had been upset, upset enough to nearly break her hand over somebody face, and he just couldn't shake off the fact that he had put her in that position.

"Kerrianne, you know none of that is true, don't you? The Club is the Club, but me, and your Ma, and you for that matter, we aren't the Club. You know that, right?" he asked quietly.

"Of course, Da. I know it's not true, but she was saying these things out loud in front of everybody. I just got so, so mad and I just had to make her shut up. I couldn't let her keep talking and keep saying those things, could I?" Kerrianne asked, looking desperate. She needed him to reassure her that she had done the right thing.

He was treading on very shaky ground here. He knew that he did not want to give her the impression that solving her problems with her fists was a good idea, but he would be damned if he was just going to leave her hanging and tell her that she had done something wrong by defending her family. He looked at Fiona and tried to gauge what her response would be. She gave him a tiny smile and nod.

"No, Love, you couldn't. I am proud of you for doing what you thought was right. Next time, though, no broken noses, okay?" he asked, completely seriously.

She laughed, "Yeah, okay. I think I can do that."

Fiona spoke up then, "I am going to assume that you know that you can't solve all of your problems like this, right? You can't just hit anybody who makes you mad."

"I know, Ma," Kerrianne assured them. "It scared me. I don't think I would have ever stopped hitting her. I knew that I should, but I couldn't make myself stop. I don't want to do that again, not ever."

"Good," replied both of her parents in tandem, causing all three of them to laugh.

"So…how much trouble am I in?" Kerrianne asked, a nervous look in her eyes. Though she knew that she deserved it, she really did not want to be grounded again. Her first taste of freedom in more than a month had turned into a disaster.

"Oh, a ton of trouble," Fiona responded with a smile. Kerrianne's mouth dropped open in dismay.

"Agreed. So, so much trouble," Filip said.

"What's the punishment then?" Kerrianne asked, with only minor annoyance in her voice. She felt like crying again, but she wouldn't. So far, her parents were being super cool about this, so she would take whatever punishment they dished out.

"Ice cream," Filip replied.

"Ice cream?" Kerrianne asked. "My punishment is ice cream?"

"Absolutely. I am going to buy you ice cream, and you are going to eat it," Filip explained.

Kerrianne gave him a small smile, "Can I have mint chocolate chip?"

"For sure," he told her, kissing her on the forehead. "Keep that ice on your hand. I will be back soon. I love you very much, Kerrianne. You know that, right?"

"I know, Da," she assured him. "I love you, too. Thank you, for not grounding me. And for the ice cream."


	47. Chapter 47

**Hi friends! Here is the next chapter, I hope that you enjoy. And yes, I know that the time line is a little bit off. I had to bend it just slightly and change some minor events. For clarification, this chapter takes place the day that Juice steals the brick of coke. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy! I wanted to bring Juice into the story a little more, as he does figure prominently into season 4, and into this story eventually, as well! PLEASE review! Please? I am begging guys. ;-)**

In the end, Kerrianne's right hand ended up needing a splint. It was still tender, even now, four days later, as Filip rewrapped it. He would never admit it out loud to her, be he was so damned proud of her that he just couldn't stop smiling as he tightly rewrapped her hand. His little daughter had been in her first ever fist fight, and not only had she won the fight, but she had literally obliterated her opponent, to the point that she had very nearly broken her hand doing it. While he wouldn't be encouraging her to do this often, he couldn't help but be proud that at least she could hold her own in a fight. In fact, he had bragged to his brothers just this morning that his daughter had won one hundred percent of her fights, and pointed out that none of them could boast that kind of average.

Technically, Filip was supposed to be at work right now. When he had gotten the phone call from Fiona asking him to come home and help manage his daughter's injury, he had been a bit perplexed. Fiona was absolute crap when it came to managing any sort of splints or wraps, so he sort of understood her inability to help, but he had specifically asked Juice to stop by when Kerrianne got home from school and do it himself. He had no idea where the boy had gotten to or why he had not shown up like he was supposed to. It was becoming more and more common with Juice lately, and Filip knew that he would have to speak to the kid about it, and soon. Kerrianne had spent most of the day texting him to complain about how badly her bandage itched, so he didn't dare to make her wait until he was done with work. He had ditched early specifically to come home and help.

He quickly finished wrapping her hand and then kissed her on the forehead. "You should be good to go, Sweetheart."

"Thanks, Da," she smiled at him. "It feels better. It was just so itchy; it was driving me crazy. I am sorry that you had to come home, I thought that Juice was supposed to come."

"It's okay, Darlin. It gave me a chance to see you and Adam and your Ma for a while. It will be a late one tonight, and I am not sure if I will get back before you go to bed," he explained to her. "And he was supposed to come, but something must have come up."

He was due to be at the warehouse tonight, checking on the guns and the drug shipment. He knew that it would likely be well after midnight before he got home, and he knew that nobody was likely to still be awake by the time he got home tonight. It would have bothered him to not see his family at all today, so in all actuality, he was pretty glad that his moronic friend had mysteriously not shown up, not that he would be telling Juice that fact, ever.

"You better go find Ma, then. She told me that Adam has been cranky today," Kerrianne told him. "If that's true, I am sure she would be happy to pass him off to you for a few minutes."

"Aye, you're probably right, he was up most of the night last night," he told her. He took out a $20 and handed it to her. "You make sure you help your Ma out tonight, okay?"

"You've got it, Da," she grinned at him, kissing him on the cheek. "Be careful tonight, and have fun! Make sure to smack Juice for me when you see him. Tell him that my hand does not appreciate him not showing up when he was supposed to!"

"I will, you can be sure of that," he told her as he gathered the supplies. He left to return them to the bathroom. When he was done, he went and found Fiona sitting in Adam's room, rocking him slowly. She looked completely exhausted. Despite the fact that their son had been up half the night and had apparently kept that trend going for most of the day, she was looking at the boy with such pure, uncompromised love that it blew Filip away. She was, by far, the best mother he had ever seen and he was lucky to be the father of her children.

"Hey there, Darlin," he said to her, softly from the doorway.

"Hey youself," she replied, but offered him a smile. He would never get over how absolutely beautiful she was, even when she was stressed out and running on zero sleep.

"I hear that the boy is still giving you some trouble," he told her, making his way into the room and bending to kiss her. She put her hand on the back of his head, ensuring that the kiss lingered for an extra moment.

"Aye, he takes after you like that," she said with a smile, still not allowing him to get that far from her. "You both seem to like giving me trouble at every opportunity."

"It's what we're good at," Filip agreed, standing up again. He knew if he stayed close enough to his wife, he would need more than just a kiss, and they still had a bit more than a week to go. "Why don't you let me take him for a while? I am only home for an hour or so, before I have to go back out. Let me take care of our boy for a bit and you go relax."

"No, Filip, that's okay. You don't have to. You only have an hour," she told him, knowing that he had been up just as much as she had the previous night.

"Yes, I only have an hour, and I want to spend it taking care of Adam while you do something completely unrelated and relaxing," he informed her, lifting the baby from her arms. "Stop hogging him."

"A bath would be nice," she mused, giving him a tiny smile.

"I am sure it would be. Go take a bath, I've got him," he insisted, taking her place in the rocking chair once she got up.

"Thank you," she whispered as she kissed the top of his head and left the room to go luxuriate in peace for a bit.

Filip spent the next little while just holding his son, rocking him gently and carrying on a mostly one sided conversation with the boy. He had very nearly lulled the small baby to sleep when the door to the nursery crashed open and Juice stumbled in. Adam's eyes opened in a flash and he began to whimper.

"Shhhh, Adam, it's okay. Hush now, no need to cry. Your Uncle Juice is just a moron," he said as he stood, walking around in hopes of soothing the boy. He glared at Juice who stock still, as if standing still would keep him safe from Filip's ire. "What the hell, Juice?"

"I'm sorry, man. I didn't know you would be in here with the baby," Juice tried to explain.

"What, you thought that I would just be sitting around in his room without him?" Filip asked, adding a slight bounce to his step in an effort to soothe Adam. "And I almost had him to sleep, damn it."

"Do you want me to try to make him go to sleep? I can hold him, if you want," Juice said.

"No, I really don't want," Filip shot back, is a very aggressive whisper. His baby soothing walk was beginning to work and Adam looked like he might be drifting off to seep. "What I do want is for you to sit down and make absolutely no noise so that I can get him back to sleep. I swear if this baby does not sleep for at least a little while, I will murder you."

Juice obviously took the threat to heart and did as he was told. He sat as still as he could possibly manage for the next ten minutes or so, until Adam finally drifted off to sleep. Filip set the baby back in his crib as gently as humanly possible, thanking his lucky stars that the wee boy didn't wake up. Adam needed rest, and his mother definitely needed rest. It would be a couple of hours before he needed to eat gain, and Filip sincerely hoped that Fiona could relax in that time.

He silently ushered Juice out of the room and into the kitchen. Opening the fridge and grabbing two beers, he handed one to Juice, never even asking if the kid wanted one.

"Where are Fiona and Kerrianne?" Juice asked before taking a long pull from the bottle.

"Fiona is taking a bath. Adam has kept her up for most of the night and pretty much all day today, I figured she deserved any break I could give her. Kerrianne should be in her room, doing her homework," Filip said.

"Oh," was all that Juice said in response.

He glanced over at the boy, giving him a shrewd look. If he didn't know better, he would say that Juice looked almost as bone-weary as Fiona. His eyes were bleary and surrounded by dark circles. He had a slightly edgy, unhealthy look about him. Filip had been understandably preoccupied with other things lately, but he wondered why it had taken him so long to notice that something was amiss with Juice. At first, Filip figured it was just taking him some time to adjust to being out of prison, but there was really no denying now that something was wrong.

"What's going on with you, Juicey Boy?" Filip asked, point blank. He had never really been one to beat around the bush, so he figured just outright asking him would be the best course of action.

"What? Nothing," Juice replied, much too quickly, which pretty much confirmed in Filip's mind that something was definitely wrong. Filip sat back and stared at Juice, using the old tried and true 'stare long enough to make the other person uncomfortable and they will have to tell the truth' tactic. Juice began to squirm pretty much instantly. "I am fine, nothing is wrong."

"See, your mouth says nothing is wrong, but everything else points to the contrary," Filip insisted. "You are all over the place lately, acting stranger with each day; you look like a half drowned rat most of the time; you almost never pick up the phone; and today you were supposed to be here to help Kerrianne with her hand, and you just didn't show. That's not like you, Juice."

"I just forgot about Kerrianne, and I'm sorry. I came as soon as I remembered," Juice defended, weakly. "I don't know, man. Things have been rough since prison. I am still trying to get my head on straight again. I'll be fine, though."

"Yeah, okay," Filip said, still not believing him, but really having no choice but to let it go. "We better go. We're supposed to be at the warehouse in twenty, and I doubt showing up late would be a good idea."

"What do you mean? You are at the warehouse tonight? I thought it would just be me and the Prospects," Juice questioned, seeming rather alarmed.

"Yeah, Clay asked me to stay for a few hours tonight. Didn't want the protection to look weak, just in case anybody stopped by. Happy and Tig should be coming by around midnight, so we will be off the hook around then, and thank God, because I am pretty much beat. Want you to come back here after, you can stay the night, at least get some rest and a hot meal tomorrow," Filip demanded. "Sit still for a minute; I am going to go check in on Fiona. I'll be back in a second."

Juice nodded, but inside, he was panicking. The sheriff had given him a task, and it had to be done tonight. He had no idea how he was going to pull a sample with Chibs watching his every move. Juice laid his forehead on the cool wooden table, and wondered when his life would be any easier. He was incredibly envious of guys like Jax and Chibs, who had wives and kids; people who would love them no matter what. Juice wondered if he could ever have that, but he shot the idea down almost immediately. He didn't deserve that.

At that moment, Chibs made his way back into the kitchen and slapped him on the shoulder, causing his head to shoot off the table. Chibs smirked at him, "Come on, Juice! No risk for the wicked."

_If only you knew exactly how wicked, brother,_ Juice thought, standing up from the table and following Chibs out of the house.


	48. Chapter 48

**Here's the next chapter friends! Enjoy the read! PLEASE review!**

It was just after eleven and Filip was counting down the minutes until his relief arrived. Sitting around a silent, mostly empty warehouse, guarding a shipment of heroin with several large, silent, brooding Mayans was not his idea of how to spend a productive night. He had hoped that having Juice and the Prospects there would help to relieve the quiet boredom, but that had fallen through in a big way. The Prospects were so intimidated by the circumstances that they had found themselves in that they were largely silent and statue like, unless given a direct order. Juice was being…not at all Juice like.

Filip was now completely sure that something was wrong with his friend. He had been just as silent at the Prospects, but his silence was a live one. He couldn't seem to sit still for any length of time. He would pace about, and when he would notice Filip glaring at him, he would finally sit. The sitting would only last for roughly twenty seconds, before he was up pacing again. Even when he could manage to sit still for more than a minute at a time, his hands were constantly in motion, finding something to fidget with. Filip could tell that something was on his mind, that he was trying to work through something. He just wished that Juice would tell him what.

"Christ, for the last time Juice, just sit still," Filip practically shouted at the boy. He hadn't intended to be harsh, but the pacing and constant movement was maddening.

Juice jumped a bit, and then sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, man."

"You know, if you would just tell me what is bouncing around in that thick skull of yours, you would probably feel better," Filip told him, well aware that Juice would probably not give anything up, but knowing that he had to try anyway.

"It's nothing. Just worried about the fact that we are sitting here next to forty keys of heroin and if there were some sort of raid right now, it would be life in prison for both of us," Juice said, not quite meeting Filip's eye. "I am just not sure that this drug/gun deal was a smart decision."

"Me either, but we voted it in. It's the choice that the Club made," Filip reminded him. He really was not eager to be reminded of the possible penalties for what they were doing right now. If he got to thinking about it, thinking about going to prison and leaving his family without him, it would be him up pacing, not Juice. He fought the urge to point out that the mohawked moron had voted in favor, figuring that Juice probably already realized that.

"Yeah, I know that. I am just thinking that I probably voted wrong. I am wishing that I had made a different choice," Juice shrugged. "Not that I can change it now, but I guess hindsight is just 20/20. I am not seeing how any good can come from this drug mule deal."

Filip agreed wholeheartedly with the boy. They couldn't think like that though. They were drug mules, and there was nothing that could change that now. "You'll change your mind when you get your first payout from all of this, Juicy. Money has a way of changing your mind."

"Some things just aren't worth it," Juice muttered. The boy looked like a kicked puppy, and now Filip was sure that it had something to do with the drugs. He was half tempted to just go shake Juice until the boy spilled about whatever was bothering him.

Filip opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by his ringing phone. He let the matter drop for a moment, figuring that they could pick up on it later. He took out his phone, figuring that it was probably Tig or Happy calling for an update to make sure everything was clear before they headed out here. He was surprised to see Fiona's name on the caller ID. There should be no reason for Fiona to be awake at this hour, not as tired as she had been when he left. He had told her not to wait up for him, so he wondered why she was not only awake, but awake and calling him at nearly midnight.

"Fi?" he answered the phone with a question in his voice.

"Filip, when will you be home? I think something is wrong," she said, her voice sounding a little bit frantic.

"Soon, Fi. What's wrong? What's going on?" he asked, instantly concerned.

"Adam just hasn't stopped crying. He isn't sleeping and won't eat. I took his temperature, Filip. He is burning up," Fiona told him.

"Jesus," he said, running his hand through his hair. "Okay, listen, call Tara and see what she thinks we should do."

"I did," Fiona explained. "She said he needs to get to the ER. He shouldn't have a fever that high, and with his breathing issues when he was born…"

"Yeah," he said, remembering very clearly the terror he had felt. "Just do what you can to get him ready. Kerrianne is there and she can help you. Get him to the hospital, and I will meet you there as soon as I can. Just try to stay calm, alright? It will be fine."

"I will, Filip, just please try to hurry. I am so damned tired! I haven't been able to sleep today, at all," she complained, sounding totally overwhelmed.

"Can you get him to the hospital okay?" he asked, completely serious. If she was half out of her mind due to stress and lack of sleep, it really wasn't a good idea for her to be driving.

"Yeah, I will be okay, but you will hurry, right?" she asked, and he knew that she needed him, probably more than she was letting on.

"I will," he promised. "Just get our boy to the ER, and I will be there before you know it."

"Okay. Love you Filip. Ride safe," Fiona told him, before hanging up the phone. He made sure that the line was disconnected before freaking out.

"Shit!" Filip exclaimed, checking the time before shoving his phone back in his pocket. Happy and Tig weren't due for another half hour or so, and knowing them, they would be at least a few minutes late. That, plus the ride over, and it would be another hour at least before he could get there.

Filip was quite honestly torn right now. So far, he hadn't had to choose between the Club and his family. They had stayed separate and completely fine. But now, that nice balance was coming crashing down. Clay would literally kill him if he up and left. He had been ordered by the Club president to be at the warehouse until his relief came. If he left now, he would be defying a direct order. On the other hand, his baby boy, his son, was sick and his wife needed him to be there. He just could not ignore that.

"What's going on?" Juice asked, finally taking a break from his frantic pacing.

"Adam is sick, they are on the way to the ER," Filip told him, picking up the pacing habit that Juice had dropped.

"What are you still doing here, man?" Juice asked, his troubles seemingly forgotten. "Go. Be with your family. They need you!"

Filip was weighing the shit that he would be in with Clay, versus his desire to take care of his family. There was really no contest. Of course he would go. "You will be okay here until Happy and Tig get here? It shouldn't be too long."

"Absolutely," Juice said, urging him to go. "I will call them and ask if they can make it any earlier. Once they get here, I'll come meet you guys at the hospital, do whatever I can to help."

"Yeah?" Filip asked. "Are you sure? Fi is taking Kerrianne with her, and neither of them needs to be awake at this point. Maybe I can convince both of them to go home and get some rest while I stay with Adam."

"I am completely, totally sure. You don't need to be here. There are like, six people here, guarding drugs. They aren't going anywhere. Things here are fine, unlike your son. Get out of here, go take care of my godson," Juice insisted, practically shoving Filip out the door, ignoring the curious stares from the Prospects and the semi-glares from the Mayans.

Filip grinned at Juice, finding a bit of relief in the chaos. His family life might have been brimming with chaos, but at least he could count on Juice. "Thanks, brother. I owe you."

Filip saw Juice nod, and then he fastened his helmet and rode off, completely ignoring the speed limit. There was literally nothing that would stop him from getting to St. Thomas's as quickly as possible, much less a speed limit sign. He felt that he had wasted enough time at the warehouse, and that, plus the nearly twenty minute ride to the hospital, added up to way too much time. For about the millionth time since he had received the phone call from Fiona, he cursed Clay's insistence on having the gun warehouse roughly 10,000 miles away from anything even resembling civilization.

He walked through the door of St. Thomas Hospital exactly twenty eight minutes after getting Fiona's phone call. He immediately made his way to the ER waiting room, scanning each and every face he saw as he went. When he entered the main waiting area, he didn't see the ten year old with a broken wrist, the elderly woman with an oxygen tank, or the construction worker bleeding from the head. All he saw was his Fiona leaning against the reception desk, filling out paper work and looking like she was trying very, very hard to not assault anybody, all while Kerrianne slept in a plastic waiting room chair nearby.

It took a short moment, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling when she looked up and her eyes found his from across the room, almost as if she sensed him there. He watched for just a moment as her shoulders sagged and she dropped the pen she was holding on the desk, and turned towards him. She began to walk towards him, but didn't get very far. She only got about three steps before he had made his way across the waiting room and swept her into his arms.

She clung to him like a life line, and he knew that as worried and tired and stressed out as he was, she was feeling it about a hundred times worse. He felt immensely guilty; he should have been there. Adam was almost never cranky and was pretty much a perfect baby. He should have known that there was a good reason for his son to have been awake and whiny all night and day. Filip quickly set that guilt aside and concentrated on being exactly what she needed him to be right now: a good husband and father.

"So what's happening?" he asked her, leaning away slightly, but still rubbing comforting circles on her back.

"Tara and another doctor came and took him back a few minutes ago. I should be with him, but I had to fill out all of this goddamned paperwork," she said as she shot a glare at the desk clerk. "His fever was almost 104, Filip."

"Hey, hey now," he started, ignoring his own jolt of panic at the news. "Tara is with him, and the doctors will take care of him. He is in the best hands possible. Why don't you go check on him, I will finish filling out the paperwork. Is that okay?"

He glanced over at the surly looking intake nurse, giving her his very best desperate father look. It somehow inspired a small smile on her face as she nodded. "I can take you back to him."

Filip gave her a grateful grin, before turning back to Fiona. "Go ahead, Fi. I've got this. I'll be back there as soon as I finish."

She smiled at last and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for being here, Love. Hurry and finish, and keep an eye on Sleeping Beauty, okay?"

"Aye," he assured her. "I will. You go be with our boy."

He watched her walked through the double doors before he picked up the pen and got to work filling out the ridiculous paperwork, eager to finish, all the while praying, over and over again, that his little boy would be alright.

At the warehouse across town, Juice was also praying. He was praying for forgiveness; forgiveness for turning on his brothers, forgiveness for just stealing a brick of heroin, but most of all, forgiveness for the relief he fleetingly felt when his best friend had told him that his godson was in the hospital. He had actually been relieved to find out that Adam was sick; relieved because he knew right then that Chibs would leave, giving him the perfect opportunity to steal a sample. Not only did hat relief make him an absolutely awful godfather, but it made him an absolutely awful person as well.

He prayed for forgiveness that he knew he didn't deserve, and with one final amen, he wiped his sorry eyes and climbed up off his knees. He had a kilo of heroin to hide, and then he had to get to St. Thomas, where his tiny godson was doing his very best to get better. He knew that he didn't deserve to have Chibs or Adam or Kerrianne or Fiona in his life, just like he knew that he didn't deserve the forgiveness he so desperately craved. None of that would stop him from asking for it though.

He managed a smile at Tig and Happy as he walked past, the drugs shoved in the crotch of his pants. He made his way out to his bike, where he climbed on and headed out, half hoping that the road would take him before he could fuck anything else up.


	49. Chapter 49

**Here is part 49! Know what would be super awesome? If you guys reviewed. I hope that you guys enjoy it! I got a frantic message or two from people VERY concerned about Adam. Hopefully, this chapter will put them to rest. Next chapter should be up in a couple of days, and it will feature Juice and Kerrianne! Read on!**

Filip spent the next half hour filling out ridiculous hospital forms. In all honesty, he felt as if he was answering the exact same five questions, over and over again. Really, how many different times did they need to know their home address and Adam's birth date? It wasn't as if it was going to change from one form to the next. There was literally a stack of forms thicker than a Harry Potter novel in front of him and he was very nearly done filling them out. All he really wanted to do was go find Fiona and check on his little boy.

He was finally finishing up the forms when he spotted Juice arrive, and in his hand was one of the largest cups of coffee Filip had ever seen. He was almost sure that he had never been happier to see the boy. Juice slowly made his way across the waiting room, deftly avoiding anybody that looked even a little bit sick. Filip had forgotten that Juice could be pretty phobic when it came to germs and hospitals. Filip was grateful that his brother was here, and even more grateful that he had brought coffee.

"Hey, Chibs," Juice said, handing him the coffee as he approached. "How's the baby?"

"Hi, thanks for the coffee, brother," Filip replied, taking the cup and closing in to hug the kid. "I don't know I haven't been back there yet. Fi was a bit mental, understandably, so I sent her back and took over the paperwork. I'm about done; do you think you could sit with Rip Van Winkle for a little while? I want to go see what's happening."

"Yeah, I can handle Kerrianne," Juice insisted. "After all, she is sleeping. How hard could it be?"

"Yeah, when she was a toddler and insisted on sleeping with us, she managed to kick me in the jewels each and every time she slept in our bed," Filip told the boy, not even kidding a little bit. "I would sit at least a couple of chairs away."

"Jesus Christ," Juice said, taking in the sight of innocent, sleeping Kerrianne, honestly a little bit afraid. "Yeah, I will do that. Go see Adam."

Filip smirked, at least slightly more comfortable leaving his sleeping teenage daughter alone with the guy she apparently had a crush on. He wouldn't go near her, not if he thought that his equipment would be in danger. He quickly asked the slightly effeminate male nurse for directions to wherever Fiona would be, and followed them quickly, very aware and leery of the way the man was checking out his ass as he walked away.

He made his way back through the hospital toward a small dark room where Fiona sat cradling Adam. His boy was only wearing a diaper and was loosely wrapped in a blanket. There were IV's and tubes running under the blanket, connected to various parts of his body. Whatever medications were running through the IVs seemed to be working. Adam was quiet and looked very close to sound asleep. Fiona was gently rocking him, and humming a soft song that Filip recognized. She used to sing it to Kerrianne when she was a baby. As much as he wanted to go to her, to rush into the room and ensure that she and his boy were okay, he didn't.

He just stood for a minute, leaning against the door frame, watching her. She looked completely drained, as if she had been up all day and night, which she definitely had. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun that definitely wasn't holding. She had what looked to be spit up on her shoulder, which he took to mean Adam had at least eaten something, even if he couldn't keep it down. Even if she looked like a mess, there was absolutely no doubt that he loved her more than anything. The look on her face as she gazed down at their son was enough to make his heart beat at least a little bit faster.

She caught him staring and a smile pulled at her lips. "Hey," she said, soft enough to not wake the baby, whose eyes had finally drifted shut.

"Hey," he replied, finally moving into the room and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips before kneeling next to her. "How is he?"

"Feeling good enough to sleep," she replied. "They are giving him all sorts of drugs and fluids and everything. They drew some blood and are running a bunch of tests. Tara says that they should know something in a couple of hours, but right now they are just trying to keep him hydrated."

"Well, that's good at least," he said, running a finger over Adam's tiny hand. He looked up at her. "And you? How are you doing?"

"Well," she started, "They had me try to feed him. That lasted for about five seconds before he wretched on me. So now, not only am I sleep deprived and emotionally unstable because my wee son had been admitted to the hospital, but I also smell like vomit. So overall, I've been better, Love."

"I still think you're pretty great," he told her honestly. "Why don't you let me take him?"

He didn't wait for an answer, but just lifted the boy into his own arms. Adam stirred for a minute, but never woke, saying sound asleep, resting his head against his father's chest. Filip sat on the green vinyl couch in the corner and held his sleeping son. Fiona leaned back in her chair, a small smile on her face, and just watched them. There was really no way for her to adequately express how unbelievably sexy she found her husband whenever she watched him holding and caring for their son. If the smirk on his face when he caught her staring was any indication, he was well aware.

"Less than a week," he reminded her, never losing the smirk.

"Oh, I know," she assured him. "I'm pretty much counting down the minutes at this point. It's been a very long six weeks. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that neither of us has slept in more than 24 hours and we are in the hospital with our baby boy, I would give serious consideration to ending that drought immediately."

He grinned at her, more than slightly excited by her words. "Hush now, Fiona, before my imagine runs wild. Besides, there is a child present."

"And a doctor," came Tara's voice as she entered the room, shaking the head as if trying to remove the overheard conversation from her brain. "Have you guys really gone all this time? Most people break that rule after three weeks or so."

Fiona opened her mouth, as if she were about to say something, but Filip quickly cut her off. As intrigued as he was by the fact that apparently sex might be back on the table, he really wanted to hear about what was happening with Adam first.

"Hey Doc," he said, purposely ignoring any further talk of sex. "How's my boy doing?"

"That's what I'm here to find out," she explained. "His blood work came back, and it looks like he has some sort of virus. They are relatively common, but they can be pretty scary, especially at his age. He could have picked it up from Kerrianne or the guys or anybody, really. He has medicine to bring down the fever and help him out, and he will be fine. I need to check his temperature and vitals, but he seems to be doing better. We will keep him at least overnight, and maybe tomorrow night, too. Once his fever breaks and some of that congestion clears, you can take him home."

"That's good news," he said, and Fiona smiled in relief.

Tara came and lifted Adam from his arms, waking the boy and causing another fit of crying. He briefly hoped that Adam would settle again, but the crying was not short lived. It continued as Tara laid the wee boy on a table and completed an examination, taking his temperature and listening to his lungs and heart. She changed the boy's diaper, saving Filip the trouble of doing it, which he was grateful for. Finally, she wrapped him in the blanket again, and once again laid him in Filip's arms, before rehooking all of the IV's and wires. Adam settled down pretty quickly, and after a few minutes of silence, sleep returned and Fiona was shooting him that look again. He blushed and managed to turn away, looking at Tara for some answers to unasked questions.

"His fever is already coming down and his heart and lungs are sounding a little bit better too. He is getting nutrients from the IV, but you should try to feed him again in a few hours, just to make sure he can keep it down with no problems. What he really needs now it to get some rest, and sleep wouldn't kill you guys either. I would tell you both to go home, if I thought that you would listen. Since I know that neither of you will, that couch folds down into a bed. I have a clean shirt in my locker, if you want to not be covered in puke, Fiona," Tara reported.

"That would be excellent, yeah," Fiona agreed, standing to follow Tara out of the room, but not before kissing Filip soundly.

"I will get you guys some pillows and blankets, too," Tara said as they walked out. "As long as you both promise that nothing even a little bit fun will happen under the blankets."

"Not with the baby present, Tara," Fiona joked, sounding scandalized. "We aren't animals."

Filip smiled at the sound of the two women laughing, before leaning his head against the wall and resting his eyes for a moment.

Juice sat up straighter as he saw Fiona enter the waiting room. He wanted to hear about how Adam was doing and really just see how much longer he would have to stay. Kerrianne hadn't woken up at all and the older woman who was having a mild asthma attack had been giving him salty looks for almost an hour. He had always known that hospitals could be dangerous, but cougar attacks were not something that he had prepared himself for.

"Hey, Fi," he said, standing up and turning away from the woman who was licking her lips now. "Did Chibs find you? How is Adam?"

"Yeah, he found me. He is back there with Adam now. Adam's doing a bit better, but they are going to keep him, which means that we are staying, too," she explained, as she reached down to shake Kerrianne awake.

"Ma? Adam's okay?" she asked, before her eyes even fully opened. She looked over, nodding at Juice, before turning her attention back towards her Ma.

"He's much better already, Love. Da and I are going to stay here with him tonight, though. Don't want to leave him alone," she told her daughter, who seemed to understand. "I was hoping that maybe Juice here could give you a ride home? You don't have to go to school tomorrow if you don't want, but you still need your rest, and a hospital chair isn't going to cut it."

Kerrianne nodded, and smiled at Juice before standing up and stretching. "Are you sure that he is okay?"

"Yes, or at least he will be," Fiona nodded. "Tara said it is just some sort of virus that he picked up from God knows where. They are giving him medicine and his fever is coming down. Da has already got him to sleep. He should be coming home tomorrow or the next day at the latest."

"That's good, I guess," Kerri said. "I was really worried about him. He's just so little, Ma."

"I know, Baby, but he is going to be alright. Tell you what, why don't you come back and see him tomorrow," Fiona told her, wrapping her daughter in a hug. "You can see for yourself that he is fine, and give your Da a break. Bring Da a clean shirt, too, okay?"

"You've got it, Ma," Kerrianne told her. "Give Adam and Da a kiss for me, okay?"

"I will, Sweetheart. You make sure Juice gets home in one piece," she joked, before turning to Juice. "Thank you so much for all of your help and thanks for taking Kerrianne home. You come back tomorrow too and see your godson, yeah?"

"Yeah, absolutely," he told Fiona. He turned to Kerrianne, "Are you ready to go?"

"I am," she replied. "Can we get some food on the way home? I am starving."

Juice rolled his eyes, and Kerrianne knew that he would agree. She turned and hugged her Ma, before smiling and making to follow Juice out.

When Fiona finally made her way back to the room, she found Adam sound asleep in Filip's arms. Filip wasn't in much better shape himself. His head was leaning back against the wall and he was snoring softly. They may have been in an emergency room with a sick baby, but if Fiona could trap and keep this moment forever, she knew she would. Her husband was amazing. After a moment of staring, she went and carefully lifted Adam out of Filip's arms and laid him gently in the little cradle the nurse had brought in for him. Luckily, he stayed asleep and there were no ear piercing shrieks. She tucked the blanket around the wee boy, and then turned back to her husband and gently ran a hand through his grey black hair. He woke up with a start, but relaxed after he saw who it was.

"Hi there, Love," she said, smiling at him.

"Hey," Filip replied. "You're puke free."

"I am!" Fiona laughed. "And exhausted to boot. I brought some pillows and blankets, do you care to share that couch?"

Filip didn't even answer. Instead, he opened his arms and pulled her down onto the couch next to him. It took them a minute to get settled and comfortable under the blankets, but eventually, she rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, barely staying awake long enough to hear him whisper, "I love you."


	50. Chapter 50

**Just some Juice and Kerrianne interaction! I love their friendship, and so I can't help but write it as often as I can! I hope that yo guys enjoy and I hope that you REVIEW and whatnot. Thanks friends, have a great day!**

Kerrianne quite literally rolled out of bed the next morning around 11 am. One minute, she was sleeping soundly in her bed dreaming about chasing mobile cupcakes while riding on the back of a tyrannosaurus rex, and the next, she was crashing to the floor, where she lay sprawled across the cold tile, tangled in her bed sheets and looking confused. Needless to say, it was really not a pleasant way to wake up. She was minorly bruised, lying on the freezing cold floor in shorts and a tank top. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

Her morning took a turn towards the even more traumatic when Juice burst through her bedroom door with a gun in his hand, looking all around for an intruder before his eyes settled on Kerrianne on the floor. She remained frozen in place for a split second before snatching a blanket and covering herself up.

"What the hell, Juice!?" she screamed at the startled and confused man who had just burst into the room in his pajamas. "Put that gun away and get out!"

"Jesus," Juice stammered. "I heard a crash and I thought that somebody had broken in and was hurting you! Why are you on the floor?"

"I fell out of bed, you moron! Nobody is attacking me," she shouted at him again, tightening the blanket around herself. She really wished that she had chosen to wear less revealing pajamas. Tiny pajama shorts covered in dancing monkeys plus a flimsy tank top was really not something that she wanted Juice to see her in.

"Oh man, that sucks, are you okay?" he asked, lowering the gun and looking her up and down. That act got him glared at haughtily.

"I will be fine just as soon as you get the hell out," Kerrianne shot at him, still not lowering the blanket.

"Yeah, sorry. I am just going to go make some breakfast or something," Juice said immediately turning around. "We can eat before we head to the hospital. Sorry again. Really, really sorry."

Kerrianne finally dropped the blanket as he shut the door behind him. Of course it was just her luck for him to walk in when she was wearing nothing but supremely small shorts and a tank top and her hair was completely unruly. She grumbled and pulled herself up onto the bed, bringing the fallen sheets and blankets with her. There was no sense dwelling on it, and besides, it was cold down there on the floor.

She grabbed a clean pair of jeans and pulled them on. She briefly considered putting on a real shirt, but decided against it, opting for a bright blue bra underneath her tank top. She grabbed a cardigan and threw it on as she left the room. She may have still been a little bit annoyed that Juice had barged into her room without her permission, but she still hoped that he had made something good for breakfast. She swung through her parent's room and grabbed a clean t-shirt for her Da as requested, and one for her Ma as well, shoving them in her purse as she left.

She made her way to the kitchen where her mohawked friend was cooking something that really didn't smell very good at all. She glanced over his shoulder and saw runny scrambled eggs and toast and then she grimaced. Kerrianne hated eggs almost more than she hated any food on the planet. Juice was well aware of this, as they had argued on the subject various times. As grateful as she was that he was here staying with her and had been kind enough to make her breakfast, there was no way in hell she could eat it.

"Hope you're hungry Juicey," she told him as she grabbed some cereal out of the cabinet. She would take Frosted Flakes any day over eggs.

"What?" he asked, confused and a little bit offended. "Why are you eating cereal?"

She felt bad, but only for a moment. "I don't eat eggs, Juice. Ever. You know this."

"Oh, shit," he said, rolling his eyes. "I forgot. Want me to make you something different? You don't have to eat cereal, if you don't want. I can't believe I forgot. I wish you guys had a dog, because there is no way I am going to eat nine eggs on my own."

"Christ, you made nine eggs? That is kind of excessive for two people, don't you think?" she asked as if she were talking to a small child, clearly making fun of him.

"Well, it turns out that I wasn't really thinking," he snapped, causing her to stop in her tracks. He had never really been harsh with her before. They had always had a relationship where they could joke and tease each other, but never get mad of hold grudges. Kerrianne tried not to let it show on her face, but she was hurt by the abrupt, angry response. As much as she tried to hide it, he knew almost immediately that he had crossed a ling, and something wrong anyway. He shook his head, as if to clear it, before saying, "I'm sorry Kerrianne, I didn't mean to get mad. I mean, I'm not mad. You didn't do anything. I am just being a jerk."

"Yeah? Then why did you?" she asked, her piercing brown eyes, exact replicas of her father's eyes, stared him down, almost as if they were looking right through him. Her tone wasn't angry, and he knew that she wasn't being sarcastic. It was a genuine question; she really wanted to know what was going on with him.

Of course he couldn't tell her, no matter how much he kind of wanted to, so he just shook his head. "I don't know. I guess I just have a lot on my mind. Adam is sick which kind of puts your Dad out of commission for a couple of days, and since I always get the grunt work that nobody else wants, it'll fall to me. That, and I didn't really sleep much last night. That's not an excuse though, I'm still sorry that I yelled at you. Tell you what, let's forget the eggs and cereal and I will take you to McDonald's for breakfast…or really lunch by now, I suppose."

She didn't buy him saying that he was just tired and knew that there was probably something else going on, but she didn't want to push him too hard. Kerrianne knew first hand that when pushed too hard, people would just shut down. She was an expert at that. She figured that whatever was bothering him was nothing major, and she knew that if he needed her help, he would ask for it, and that would have to be good enough for now.

"Yeah, McDoanlds is way better than cereal," she agreed, accepting his apology and letting him know that she wasn't really mad. "Don't throw the eggs away, though. We can take them to Da, he likes eggs, and as terrible as those eggs look, they are probably still better than hospital food."

He nodded at her, and she went to put the cereal away as he packed up the eggs and toast in some Tupperware. She grabbed her shoes and sat at the kitchen table to pull them on. They were quiet for a moment, and Kerrianne figured that they were all done talking. Therefore, it surprised her when he spoke up.

"Hey Kerrianne?" he asked. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," she replied with a smirk. "What is it Juice?"

"Well, you're black," he started as plain as day. It was like he had no common sense sometimes and had no idea that what he just said could be taken as offensive. Mostly, she just found it funny.

"Keen observation there," she rolled her eyes. "What of it?"

"Nothing, I just wondered," he began to explain. "Have you ever had any trouble with it? Like, has it ever been a problem for you?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Nobody really cares what color you are anymore. Besides, I am only like, twenty five percent black. My Ma'a mother was black, and the rest of the family was white."

"I didn't know that," he told her.

"Yeah, and Ma was raised by her Da and never really knew her own mother; I guess she dies when Ma was a baby. Anyway, when she was in school, a long time ago, people gave her hell about it all the time, called her all sorts of names. Da too. I guess not many people liked that they were together because she was black and he was white, but he didn't care," Kerrianne explained with a small smile, as if she was proud of her mother and father, proud of her roots. Juice supposed she probably was, and he wished for just a moment that he knew what it felt like to be proud of where he came from.

"So nobody at school says anything to you?" he asked. "None of the guys at the garage?"

"At the garage?" Kerrianne asked incredulously. "Da would murder them on the spot if they said anything, no joke. No, the guys are all really great and nice to me and everything. And as for school; there is one girl who said something once, but it just made her look like an idiot and everybody kind of hated her for it. It was that girl who I punched. After everybody heard about why the fight happened, they all dropped her like a bad habit. It was kind of awesome."

"Yeah," he agreed, wishing for just a moment that his Club was accepting as a bunch of high school kids. Even he had to grin at the irony in that.

"Why are you asking all of these weird questions?" she asked. Suddenly her face broke out into a grin. "Oh! Are you having a racial identity crisis? Is your Puerto Rican side at war with your white side? Which do you think will win? I, for one, hope that it is the Puerto Rican one, because of the better food and all. Don't worry though, Juice, even if the white side wins, I will still be your friend."

Juice knew that she was kidding, but he was momentarily stunned by exactly how close she had gotten. She had just assumed the wrong race, like most people did, and instead of internal forces putting him at war, it was external forces. But still, she was pretty much right on the money. He supposed that he shouldn't be surprised. Chibs had a sixth sense about these things, so it made sense that his daughter might, too. His stunned expression was so short lived that she had missed it completely. He quickly shook his head to clear it, before plastering on that cheesy grin.

"You're out of luck, Kerri," he joked. "My Mom never taught me how to cook. The best I can do is these eggs, and since you have already vetoed that, you're shit out of luck."

"Neither did mine, thank God," Kerrianne grinned. "Looks like we will have to live off of McDonald's, Juicey! Are you ready? I really want some friends."

"I was born ready for McDonalds," Juice said. He grabbed the food and watched as Kerrianne grabbed her purse and he shirt she grabbed for her father, before he linked arms through hers. "Let's go!"


	51. Chapter 51

**Here is chapter 51, guys! Hope you enjoy and please review! Thanks!**

Filip and Fiona were once again sitting in a hospital room, waiting to take their baby boy home. This time, though, they were not arguing about their son's penis, or anything else. They were, quite honestly, too exhausted to argue about things that didn't really matter and too thrilled that their baby boy was well on his way to being one hundred percent fine. He had spent two nights in the hospital, which was completely nerve racking for his parents, but as he was now fever free and able to eat without hurling it up again, they really could not complain too much.

Adam had finished eating and had all of his tubes and IV's unhooked. He was definitely a much happier baby than when he came into the hospital, and for that, both of his parents were grateful. He was now dressed in real clothes, laying in the tiny hospital cradle making baby noises, much to his parent's delight. It was much better than the constant screaming and wailing he was doing when he arrived.

Fiona and Filip were just as impatient to get home from the hospital this time, as they had been the first time They were probably just as tired, too. They had both gotten a few hours of sleep, here and there, but it was definitely not enough, and they would be incredibly glad to sleep in their own bed. Well, sleep and some other things. Though no real words on the subject had been spoken, there was a largely unspoken agreement that they were finally going to have sex again, pretty much as soon as possible.

Filip had just finished his twelfth cup of coffee, and Fiona had finally completely packed the diaper bag, when Tara walked in, discharge papers and medication in hand, a wide smile decorating her face.

"Hey guys," she said, going straight to Adam. "I am sure you are ready to go home, now that this little guy is happy again!"

"More than ready," Filip agreed tossing his empty coffee cup into the garbage can.

"Good," she said, setting the paper and medications down. "Here is the deal. The fever is gone, which is good news. He is eating again, which, again, is good news. There is still a little bit of congestion in his lungs, but that should clear up in no time. We are sending you home with some breathing treatments, which I showed you how to do last night, and this, which is an antibiotic, just as a precaution. You know how to use the dropper, and he just needs it every night around the same time, for about five days. I made sure to write it down on the discharge instructions, because I know that this might now be sinking in as much as it needs to on roughly ten minutes of sleep."

Fiona and Filip both nodded gratefully, figuring that Tara had probably just saved herself a phone call or two later tonight, asking her to explain again what they should be doing.

"Dr. Lake will need to see Adam tomorrow morning, just for a discharge visit and to talk to you, Fiona. It is really important that you be there. I made you an appointment for 9:00 AM, I hope that's okay," Tara told them, handing over the paper work, medications, and an appointment card.

"Yeah, that will be fine," Fiona nodded. She looked up and smiled at Tara. "Thank you for taking care of our boy."

"Of course," Tara smiled back. "Anytime. If you guys need anything, you know the number."

"That we do," Filip assured her. He turned to Fiona. "Are you going to be okay getting him home? I need to stop by the warehouse and check in with the guys, then I will be home. Shouldn't take too long. You don't mind, do you?"

"I think I can manage, Love," she told him and offered him a smile. There was an undeniable hunger in her eyes when she continued. "But hurry home, yeah?"

"You've got it," he told her with a smirk, kissing her quickly and then wrapping Tara in a one armed hug. "Thanks again, Doc. Don't know what we would do without you."

Filip kissed Adam softly before turning and making his way out of the room. Fiona's eyes were on his ass the entire time, much to his delight. Tara's eyes were on Fiona, and she was trying her best not to giggle, at least not until the man was out of earshot. When he finally was though, she made sure to get a good few minutes of laughter in at Fiona's expense.

"Shut up," Fiona insisted, as a blush settled on her cheeks. "Are you going to tell me why it is so important that I be at Adam's appointment tomorrow, or just let me find out when I get there?"

"Ah, yes," Tara said, wiping her eye and recovering herself. "Birth control."

"Birth control?" Fiona questioned. "I'm not a 16 year old girl, Tara. I know how condoms work."

"Oh yeah, of course you do. And I am sure you and your husband use them, each and every time," Tara rolled her eyes. "Do you want to get pregnant again, have another baby?"

"Absolutely not," Fiona insisted, feeling slightly dizzy at the very thought of ever being pregnant again. "I am done having children."

"That's what I figured. And as we discovered with little Adam here, you are still very much able to get pregnant. So either you need some kind of birth control, or you need to convince your husband to have a vasectomy," Tara explained. "If you decide to do that, please let me know in advance. I would kind of like to see how that argument would go."

Fiona laughed, picturing that particular conversation herself. She knew Tara was right, but she dreaded taking birth control pills, had always hated the hassle. She groaned, "Fine, I see your point. I don't like it, and I hate birth control pills, but you're right."

"Oh Fiona," Tara sighed, putting an arm around her friend. "We have come a long, long way since pills. We'll get you a nice IUD, and you will never have to worry about it again. Then, you can have all the sex you want!"

That, at least, put a smile on Fiona's face.

Across town, Filip certainly didn't have a smile on his face. He had met here with all of the guys and the Mayan crew, in order to make sure that they were square on the heroin before the cartel deal. At first, he had been annoyed that he had had to show up and help the guys count bundles of drugs, but now, he was more than glad he was here, because they were a kilo short, and he couldn't help but feel responsible.

Filip was supposed to have been there. Really, there was no way of knowing exactly when the drugs had gone missing, but that really didn't matter, because they were still missing, and he had left early, putting them down a man at the warehouse. He had no idea why, but Filip just knew in his heart that the drugs had gone missing during that half hour stretch that he had left Juice and the Prospects alone.

He was one hundred percent sure that nobody had taken them while he and Juice were there, and Happy and Tig would die before letting anybody near them. They all listened as Juice explained that he had left and gone to take a piss for a minute, and the Mexicans must have come in and taken he drugs then.

"Nah, there is no way they would have gotten past the Prospects and Chibs," Clay dismissed Juice's claim easily.

Filip had conveniently forgotten to mention that he hadn't been there. He sighed, "Yeah, about that. I left early."

Clay turned on him faster than Filip had thought possible. The President's was a foot away from him, and his voice was low and angry when he said, "What do you mean you left early?"

Filip stood up straighter, not about to be browbeaten by Clay Morrow. "I got a call from Fiona. That was the night she had to take Adam to the ER. They needed me, so I left."

"WE needed you!" Clay raged. Filip knew that if Clay didn't take a step back, he was going to have to hit the older man. Jax seemed to realize the same thing and stepped in between the two men.

"Juice, how long were you away again?" Jax asked, obviously trying to change the subject. Luckily it worked.

"I swear, I wasn't gone for more than three minutes or so, and I went in and checked the door when I got back. It was locked and everything," Jucie saw. "The Prospects saw me."

Jax nodded and he and Clay stepped aside to deal with the Mexicans. Filip walked away and lit a smoke, doing his best to relax and not actually hit anybody. It figured that the one time he had shirked responsibilities, the one time he put himself and his family first, everything had exploded. Still, he knew that he had done the right thing. There was no way he could have stayed that night. He couldn't have just let Fiona fend for herself in the ER with their infant son. Could he?

Filip's thoughts were interrupted by Juice, who had made his way over to bum a smoke. Filip handed his pack over and nodded at the kid.

"This is crazy," Juice said as he lit the cigarette. "Do you really think that one of the Mayans did this without us knowing?"

"One of them or one of the Prospects," Chibs nodded. He really couldn't believe that this was happening, now of all times. He was supposed to be home by now, with his family. "You didn't see anything at all? Didn't get the feeling that anything was off?"

"Not at all, man," Juice quickly replied. "Everything looked fine from where I stood."

Filip looked the kid up and down. The boy was very jittery, which Filip could definitely understand. This thing had thrown him for a loop as well, and he knew that Juice was taking it hard. In all honesty, he looked like he was about to cry. Filip once again wondered what was going on with his friend.

"What are you not telling me, Juicey?" he asked quietly, not wanting to be overhead.

"What? Nothing. Nothing at all. I am just kind of freaked out, that's all. This was my watch and I let this happen," Juice explained, looking for all the world like a deer caught in the headlight.

"Our watch, Juicey, our watch," Filip reminded the boy. "All you did was go take a piss. I left. There's nothing we can do to change that, so no use dwelling on it. We will figure this out, kid."

Jax and Clay made their way over to the two of them, and the rest of the guys gathered around.

"We need to press the Prospects," Jax explained. "Alvarez is going to look into his guys, and we need to look unto ours, make sure that none of them are good for this. We have to figure this shit out, and soon. Romeo is going to be back, and a missing brick is going to make us all look amateurs. The Mayans aren't willing to let that happen, and we need either a key of heroin or a dead body to give Romeo, or he is going to flip his shit, and we will all feel that hurt."

Nobody dared disagree with him. It wasn't like they were looking forward to what had to happen, but whoever it was who had stolen the drugs had to die. You didn't just steal from SAMCRO and walk away. Happy was coming to assist with the task, and Filip knew that he would stay and see this through. As much as he wanted to be home with his wife and children, he had to be here and help deal with this.

As they broke up and all went their separate ways, Filip took out his phone to call Fiona and let her know that he wouldn't exactly be able to hurry home, after all.


	52. Chapter 52

**Here is chapter 52! Hope you enjoy...leave some love!**

By the time Filip finally, finally, arrived home, it was almost four in the morning, he was tired, angry, confused, and he felt like death warmed over. On top of all of that, he had Juice in tow. The boy had been through the ringer in the past day or so, and as much as he had argued that he would be fine at home by himself, Filip really didn't think that he needed to be on his own right now.

Things had very nearly come crashing down today. They had been mere moments away from having to off one of the Prospects, and Juice had begged them for fifteen minutes and offered amnesty to the poor, bumbling men who were trying their very best to become brothers. At the time, Filip had thought that is was a stupid and unnecessary idea, but now he was glad that they had waited that few minutes. If they had gone ahead and killed Ratboy or Filthy Phil, an innocent man would have died, and they would still have a thief in their ranks.

In the end, the right man was dead, but Filip really wished that it could have gone down a different way. He still couldn't believe that Miles had betrayed the Club. Not only was Miles a moron, but Filip really hadn't figured that the kid would have the balls to pull off such a thing. Miles had always been very laid back and was pretty much scared of his own shadow. Miles would have been the absolute last person Filip would have thought responsible for the drugs going missing; it really didn't make sense. Honestly, his money had been on the ugly, gangly one, Ratboy.

Either way, it was done and over with now. They had been very, very lucky to have escaped this situation with so little damage. Yes, one of their patched members was dead and buried in a shallow grave, but it could have turned out much, much worse. At least this business with the stolen drugs had stayed off of the cartel's radar, and for that, Filip was extremely grateful. The Cartel could bring the kind of heat that Charming and the Club had never before seen. Thankfully, the situation had been dealt with and Filip was more than sure that SAMCRO wouldn't let anything like this happen again.

The main object of his concern right now was Juice. The kid was hobbling one legged, clinging to Filip like a lifeline, while they entered the house as quietly as possible. Filip had taken Juice to the Club house and patched him up as well as he could manage. The stab wound wasn't deep and had missed all of the major tendons and ligaments, but it had to hurt like hell. Add that physical pain to the fact that the boy had just shot a brother in the face about twenty times, and Filip knew that Juice was not in a good place right now.

The older man supported the younger as they made their way carefully across the living room, where Filip deposited Juice on the couch. He had a feeling that the kid might be in shock. He wasn't complaining about the pain he was in, but he was just sitting on the couch staring off into space, not blinking, not talking, not moving. His breathing was a little shallow, but at least it was even and steady.

Filip left the kid on the couch and made his way to the hallway bathroom, where he pulled a bottle of prescription pain killers from the medicine cabinet. He wasn't a doctor, far from it actually, but he hadn't encountered anything so far in his long life that couldn't be managed with a couple of hydrocodone. He made his way back into the living room, where he found Juice exactly as he had left him, sitting still as a statue on the couch staring at nothing.

"Juice," Filip said softly, not wanting to startle the boy, nor wake up anybody else in his house. "Come on, kid. You need to take a couple of these."

"What are they?" Juice mumbled, coming out of his daze enough to look at the pills being offered to him.

"Just something to take the edge off the pain, help you sleep," Filip explained, handing Juice two pills and going to grab him a bottle of water. "You need to get some shut-eye. Don't think about anything, don't worry about anything. Just sleep."

"Yeah," Juice agreed, although Filip could tell that he was already about a thousand miles away, and sleep was just about the last thing on his mind. Filip should have known that it wouldn't be that easy. He remembered the way Juice had acted when they had offed the Russians, but he had gotten over that relatively quickly. The Russians had not been brothers, though, and if the look on the kid's face and the distance in his eyes were any indication, Filip knew that Juice would not just forget this easily.

Filip sat down on the coffee table, getting himself eye level with Juice. "Listen, boyo. What happened today was no easy thing, and I am sorry that this business landed on your shoulders, but you did what needed to be done. You know that, don't you?"

Juice looked down at his feet and shrugged, "I guess."

"You guess nothing, boy," Filip replied firmly. "Answer this; did Miles try to kill you?"

"Yeah," Juice mumbled.

"So that rat bastard stole from our Club and tried to kill you. He deserves to be dead. It was between your life and his life, Juicey, and I am damned glad that it was his. He deserves everything he got. You can't keep feeling guilty about that. Enough is enough," Filip told the boy. "You swallow those pills. I am going to go get you some pillows and blankets. You need rest."

Juice nodded, seeming at least slightly more resigned. Filip stood and headed toward the hall closet. He stopped in his tracks when Fiona entered the room. She was dressed in pink plaid pajamas pants and an old t-shirt of his, and her arms were weighed down with pillows and blankets. She handed over the items with a soft smile.

"Figured that you would be needing these," she said. "Are you okay, Juice?"

"Oh, um, yeah. I think I am fine," Juice replied, after swallowing the pills. "I'm sorry that I am pretty much always sleeping on your couch. I will try not to get in the way."

Fiona laughed quietly, "It's no bother at all, though we should probably break down and get a bed to stick in the spare room, as often as this happens.

"Ha, yeah," Juice agreed. Filip handed him the pillows and helped him settle on the couch.

"What on earth happened to you?" Fiona asked, her eyes noticing the lack of mobility.

"Ah, there was just an issue out at the warehouse. Something got stolen and Juice handled it," Filip explained, trying to leave as many of the details as possible out, and for that, Juice was grateful. The way Fiona was looking at him led Filip to believe that he would have a lot of explaining to do later, but she let it go for now.

It looked like the pain pills were already taking effect on the boy, and his eyelids were getting heavy. Soon after that, the gibberish talk started. "Thanks Chibs. Hey, I might need a ride to work tomorrow. I don't know if I can ride a pony all by myself. I might fall off and land in a puddle and my shoes would be wet and I would really hate that a lot. So maybe you can let me have a ride in your car, and we can eat doughnuts, because we are best friends."

"Absolutely Juicey," Filip grinned. "No ponies and extra doughnuts and car rides. Sounds like a great time. You just get some sleep."

Juice was sound asleep by the time Filip had made his way over to Fiona. He immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leaning much more heavily on her that he was aware, and dropped a kiss on top of her head.

"You haven't gotten even a wink of sleep, have you?" she asked as she lead him to the bedroom, arm still wrapped securely around his waist. Fiona could tell that it had been a long, difficult day or so for her husband, and she couldn't even begin to imagine how exhausted he was. She had been on her own with Adam all day and night, but he had been a cake walk and, with Kerrianne's help, she had taken the opportunity to catch up on her own sleep. It looked as if Filip hadn't had that luxury.

"Not even half a wink," he replied, sounding a little bit pathetic as they entered the room.

"My poor Filip," Fiona smiled, closing the door and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Let's get you to bed, yeah?"

"Yeah," he nodded, resting his forehead against hers. "I feel like I could sleep for ages, but I will graciously take the few hours I have."

"You can sleep for as long as you'd like, Love," she told him, enjoying the first quiet moment she had gotten to enjoy with her husband in days.

"Adam has the doctor in five hours," Filip reminded her. "I should go with you."

"No, Love," Fiona shook her head. "You stay here and rest, I will take Adam to the doctor and I have some errands after, as long as he is in a good mood. Do you have Club stuff to do?"

"I've got to get Juice to the garage, Tara is going to come by to take a look and made sure I did okay with his stitches and bring him some antibiotics. Kid got stabbed today, and it would be just his luck to catch gangrene or something. And then there is the fact that I actually have to work at the garage," he said, actually beginning to wonder if he was ever going to get any sleep.

"No, you don't," Fiona told him with a grin. "I bullied Gemma into letting you have the day off. I will take care of getting Juice wherever he needs to go tomorrow, or I am sure we could arrange for a Prospect to come get him. You need to get some sleep, Filip."

He let loose a low, happy sigh sigh, before pressing his lips to hers. He allowed the kiss to linger for just a moment, before pulling back to ask, "Have I told you lately how much I absolutely fucking love you?"

"Yeah, but it's still nice to hear," she replied. She really, really wanted to kiss him again, but she stopped herself, content to just relax in his arms for a moment. He was not on the same wavelength and he pulled her even closer to him and tangled a hand in her hair, kissing her deeply.

After a moment, he allowed the kiss to end and looked at her, "I'm really sorry, you know."

"For what?" she asked, wondering what on earth he was sorry for. He hadn't done anything wrong, as far as she knew.

"If I remember correctly, we had some pretty fantastic things planned for last night. I have spent weeks and weeks thinking of the extremely dirty things I am going to do to you, but now I am afraid I wouldn't be of any use to you at all in my current state," he explained.

Fiona was very, very intrigued by these dirty things he had planned, but she knew very well that he was right, and besides, she had taken Tara's warning regarding birth control to heart. No, she would let her husband sleep now, but as soon as he woke up, she would be more than ready to delve into these plans of his.

"It's okay, my Filip," she smiled at him. "I want you to sleep. I am going to need you in top notch form. I have waited for weeks, I can wait another few hours, I promise."

"Top notch, huh?" he asked. "Then I will definitely need plenty of sleep, because I am nowhere close to top notch at the moment."

"I love you anyway," she told him. "Now get to bed. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you will wake up."

Filip really didn't need to be told twice. He stripped off his boots and jeans and climbed into bed, where he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53, for your consideration! Be warned, there is a lot of adult business in this chapter, so stop reading if that isn't you thing. Sorry it's so long! Enjoy anyway and leave some love!**

Fiona made her way home early the following afternoon. She had had quite the busy morning, and was really hoping for a calm, relaxing, intimate evening with her husband. It wasn't just the sex that she was looking forward to, though she did very much miss being with him in that way. Mostly, she really wanted a night with no distractions to just be with one another.

She had taken Adam to the doctor this morning, where she had learned that he was doing just fine and the medications were doing what they were supposed to be doing and in a few days he would be one hundred percent. She had already known all of that, of course; they had told them that when they left the hospital.

After the doctor was done with Adam, they spent a good half hour discussing birth control options, which was absolutely awful in her opinion. It made her feel like a teenage girl all over again, except when she was a teenage girl, the nuns were telling them that birth control was a sin, while she sat there at her desk, figuring out where to get condoms anyway.

Eventually, the talking had stopped and Fiona went with Tara and Dr. Lake's recommendation of getting an IUD. Apparently, it was effective and not something she would have to worry about every day, which was a bonus for her, because with her luck, taking care of a newborn distracted her enough that she would very likely forget and end up pregnant with triplets or something equally disastrous.

After a very quick procedure at the doctor's office, she was sent on her way and told to not have sex for two hour. After waiting for this long, she figured that two hours was something that she could easily handle. She did a little bit of shopping in town and headed to the garage, where she hoped she would find Juice or Gemma. Gemma had agreed to go get Juice this morning and handle getting him to the garage, and Fiona hoped he would still be there. She felt bad about the boy being hurt and wanted to make sure he was okay. Also, she wanted to convince him to babysit.

Tara had graciously agreed to keep Adam for the night, providing that Fiona kept Abel and Thomas for the night sometime soon. Fiona was more than fine with that. She trusted Tara with her boy and knew that he would be well cared for. The only issue was that Tara was at work until about six tonight. Fiona had asked Kerrianne to stay at the Oswald's house tonight, and that left her without a babysitter until then. She supposed that she could wait until after six to start spending that quality time with her husband, but she really, really didn't want to.

She pulled in to Teller Morrow and parked, before taking Adam out of the car and making her way towards the Clubhouse. It was very quiet today; a few mechanics were spread out here and there, working, but other than that, the place was a ghost town. She entered the bar area, expecting to see nearly everybody inside, but instead, she only found Happy, who was disassembling and cleaning his gun, and Juice, who was sound asleep on the couch.

"Where is everybody?" was the first thing Fiona asked.

"Most of the guys are at the warehouse or on a run. Gemma is with Unser. Me and Juice are here," came Happy's short reply. Most people would think that he was being rude, but Fiona knew him well enough to know that that was just how he was. He stood up and moved towards the bar."Do you want a drink?"

That surprised her. She actually really could use a drink. "Yes, actually. Whiskey, neat."

Happy gave her an approving smile and poured the drink. She knew that she was getting respect that very few women got. When it came to SAMCRO, women were the one who got the drinks. It really was that simple. Gemma, Tara, and now apparently Fiona, were the only women who get special treatment. Still, him getting her a drink was not what she had expected. Fiona didn't know much about Happy or his background, but she could tell that he had been raised right.

"Thank you," she said as the man set her drink down in front of her. She could tell by the smell alone that it was Jameson, Filip's preferred brand, and she drank it quickly, enjoy the smooth taste. Happy watched her the whole time, as though he was impressed by a woman who could handle good liquor. She set the glass back down before speaking again. "Well, shit. I was hoping Gemma would be here, or Juice would be conscious."

"Why?" Happy asked. "Something wrong?"

"No, not really," Fiona sighed. She thought for a moment and then suddenly perked up, remembering some offers that Happy had made not too long ago. "I don't suppose you want to babysit, do you Happy?"

"Babysit? You mean him?" Happy asked pointing at Adam.

"Yes, I need somebody to watch Adam for a few hours until Tara gets off. I was going to ask Gemma or Juice, but…" she trailed off.

Happy looked at her for a minute and shrugged. "I guess. I am already babysitting Mohawk over there, so it wouldn't be a big deal. What do I have to do?"

"Honestly, put him in front of the TV for a while. He likes looking at it. When he starts to whine, give him a bottle, make sure he has a clean diaper on, and he should fall asleep for a couple of hours. If he won't fall asleep for you, wake Juice up. He can usually get him to sleep," she explained. "This is his bag. Make sure Tara takes it when she picks him up. It has everything he needs in it."

"Okay," Happy shrugged. "Sound easy enough. Who do I call if something happens? If I need to leave?"

"Me," Fiona replied quickly. "Or Filip. Or Gemma. Or Tara. Under no circumstance should you leave him with a Crow Eater or Tig."

Happy actually laughed at that. "I wouldn't do that."

"Good," Fiona told him, before leaning down to kiss Adam. It would be her first night away from her boy, and she would miss him. She knew, however, that he would be taken care of and that she needed this night with just Filip. "I love you little boy. You behave for your Uncle Happy. I will see you tomorrow."

She straightened up and smiled at Happy. "Thanks again. I owe you. If you need anything, you call."

Happy assured her that she would, and before Fiona knew it, she was in her car, on her way home again, completely kid free. She knew that Kerrianne would be thrilled to spend the night with Tristen, and she knew that between Happy and Juice and Tara, Adam would be just fine as well. They were good kids and she was determined to not spend all night worried about them.

The house was quiet when she entered a few minutes later. It was very unusual for them to have a quiet house, what with an infant, a teenager, and a random assortment of bikers about. It seemed a little bit strange to her for there to be absolutely silence in the house, but really, she wouldn't complain at all. It wouldn't be quiet for long, if she had her way.

As much as she wanted to head to the bedroom and find Filip, she didn't right away. Instead, she took a seat on the couch and took a deep breath. Now that she was actually here and having sex again was very much going to happen, Fiona couldn't help but be a little bit nervous. It had been weeks and weeks and weeks, and as much as she knew that sex itself hadn't changed in that time, she was very well aware that she herself had changed.

She and Filip had never had any problems whatsoever in the bedroom. They had a chemistry that was just undeniable and they had always enjoyed each other to the fullest extent possible. She doubted that a new baby would change that. At the same time, she also knew that she no longer looked the same and realized that sex would probably feel different as well. Having a baby wreaked havoc on the body and she couldn't expect for sex to be exactly the same. What it having this baby and the completely different body had done something to that connection, that sexual chemistry that she and her husband shared? What if she just couldn't do for him what she used to have no problem doing?

All at once, she shook her head. She could not be thinking these thoughts, not now, not ever. She wasn't giving her Filip the credit he deserved; wasn't taking into account what he told her on a daily basis. Filip loved her, plain and simple. He didn't just love her for her body or the sex. He loved her because she was her. Fiona knew that, and knew how lucky she had been to find that in a man. She knew right then that she was being ridiculous. She loved Filip and he loved her; as long as they had that love for one another, the connection would always be there.

She stood from the couch, clutching one of the shopping bags in her hand. With one last deep breath, she made her way towards the bedroom, her excitement building the closer she got. She was going to be with her husband again, going to feel his body against hers, feel him move inside of her, listen to the low sounds of pleasure he always made. Whatever nerves she had been feeling were gone now. Yes, she wanted this very much.

She found him in bed, sound asleep. The scent of soap and his clean pajama pants told her that he had been awake at some point and had showered. She loved the smell of his soap, loved the way his skin tasted when he was fresh from the shower. He was clad in nothing but an old pair of blue plaid pajama pants, and as she expected, a shirt was nowhere to be found. She studied him for a minute, she pale skin on his chest, arms, and stomach marked with random scars, a few scattered freckles, and tattoo ink. Her eyes feel to the latest tattoo; Adam's name directly over his heart, right below where Kerriane's sat. She would be lying if she said that she didn't find him unbelievably sexy.

She set her bag down on the night table and slid out of her shoes. While there was no way she was going to even attempt any sexy lingerie, she decided to find something more comfortable to wear, and finally settled on a pair of purple shorts and tank top, over a relatively sexy, non-nursing bra. Figuring it was the best she could do, she went and quickly brushed her teeth and dabbed on some perfume before returning to the room. She pulled back the blankets and slid in between the sheets next to her husband.

His eyes opened pretty much instantly, and after another second, gathered her into his arms.

"Hey," he said, sleep still straining his voice. "You're home."

"Hey yourself," she kissed him softly. "I am."

"Everything okay at the doctor?" he asked, very aware of how close to him she was, how warm she felt in his arms.

"Everything's fine," Fiona replied, trailing her hands up and down the skin of his back. "Kerrianne is staying with Tristen tonight and Adam is staying with Tara. It seems to me like we have an entire evening to ourselves. What do you suppose we should do with that time?"

That put a smile on his face right away, and just like that he was very much awake. "I can think of a few things."

"Do any of those things involve us naked?" she asked innocently. "Because I think I would like that very much."

He laughed, "A few of them do."

"Good," she said, before leaning in to kiss him. The kiss was soft, but incredibly sensual. They weren't going to rush through this. There would be no medical issues to hold them back, no crying baby to stop them, no urgent teenage needs to interrupt them.

His hands made their way from her hips to her back, underneath her shirt, enjoying the soft skin under his rough hands. She was so goddamned soft. He backed out of the kiss and rested his head against her, just for a moment. His eyes caught the bag on the night table and he nodded at in, "What's in the bag?"

"Ah, that," she said and she leaned away from him and grabbed the bag. "Just something that I thought we might need."

Inside the bag, he found a small, blue bottle of lube. He examined it for a moment before looking back at her and raising his eyebrows. They had never, ever needed this before. "What's this?"

She was blushing, and didn't seem to want to look at him. He corrected that by gently turning her face towards his again.

"Well, I just had a baby and I don't actually know what sex is going to feel like right now, and I am not going to start talking like the doctor and mention vaginal dryness and painful intercourse and things like that, but I just thought that it might help," she explained, her face now completely beat red.

At that, he set the bottle down and wrapped her in his arms again. This surprised her and when she finally looked at him again, he asked, "Are you sure that you want this Fi? I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want you to think that you have to do this right now. I will wait as long as you need me to."

"I know you will, Love, but we have waited long enough. I want this; I want you. I have missed being with you, you know. It's just…" she trailed off.

"It's just what?" he asked.

She looked up at him, gazing through her eye lashes. "Can you just be gentle? Go slow, at first?"

"I can do whatever you need me to do," he assured her, his big brown eyes looking so sincere that she couldn't help but melt. "If you want me to stop, you tell me. If I am hurting you, you tell me. If you want me to do something different, you tell me. I want this to be good for you, Fi."

She gave him a grin that could light up city blocks, "It's you, Filip. How could it be anything but good?"

He couldn't help but kiss her again after that, and not nearly as softly as before. Her lips were full and smooth and she tasted so damned good. His mouth against hers was not at all soft or easy, but his hands were a different story. His touch was delicate and very nearly worshipping as he lifted the tank top over her head and ran his fingers over the skin of her shoulders, back and sides, taking in every inch of her that he could reach.

His fingers ran over her bra clad breast, enticing a gasp from her, before they settled on the clasp between her shoulders. Fiona broke the kiss and shook her head. "Can…can we leave it on?"

He understood immediately. He really hadn't thought that one through. She was a new mother who was nursing a child, and of course she didn't want to share her breasts with yet another person. Then there was the whole issue of leaking and his train of thought stopped right there. He was more than fine with her bra staying on. It looked really damned good on her anyway.

Without even a word of complaint he nodded and kissed her again, letting his hands work down her back and over her ass. He had always, always loved her round, full ass and the way it felt in his hands. He used this leverage to press her even closer to him, so that his hardened cock was pinned between her body and his. She moaned into his mouth when she felt it, and that moan spurred him on.

His hands moved inside of the shorts, resting for just a moment on her ass, before he just pushed the offending garment off of her body altogether. At last, for the first time in weeks and weeks, she was in bed with him, mostly naked. He took a moment and let his eyes trail over her body. No, it wasn't exactly the same as it had been before. Her curves had filled out while she was pregnant, and he thought that she was sexy as hell. Though her stomach was no longer completely flat, she was by no means even close to fat, and her breasts and ass were out of this world. Just looking at her, his cock twitched impatiently, but he mentally held himself back. He was going to wait; this was all about her.

His lips worked over the skin on her face and neck, while his hands just could not stop caressing her skin. They wandered from her back, over her ass, to her hips, over her ribcage, detouring slighting to graze her breasts through the fabric of her bra, before going lower, caressing her stomach. He had her flat on her back, and he could feel her quivering with longing. He was amazed at the responses he could get, just from his touch alone.

Giving it a split second thought, he grabbed the small bottle of lube she had brought and quickly applied a few drops to his own fingertips. It felt nothing like her own silky liquid did, but that mattered very little to him, and if this would help her, then he was more than happy to use it. Setting the small bottle aside he looked at her, immediately seeing the urgency in her eyes, and he couldn't do anything but kiss her again as his finger made their way to her clit.

Her reaction was immediate. She moaned, loudly into his mouth and her legs fell open to allow him better access. He was as gentle as he promised her he would be, breaking the kiss and just softly stroking her over and over again, listening to the sound that she was making. He was well aware that he could probably make her come, just from this, but he didn't want to just yet. She was biting her lower lip and clearly enjoying every moment.

He slowed down and grabbed the small bottle again, applying even more to his fingers and settling it down. This time, his fingers only glanced over her clit, before making their way to her opening. He could feel the small bumps from where she had been stitched, but she didn't react when he touched them, and he hoped that meant she was healed. Holding his breath, he slid first one, then another finger inside of her.

She inhaled sharply and tensed up for just a minute, before relaxing again. He didn't move at all and instead kept his hand still, allowing her all the time she needed. When he felt her relax and breathe again, he brought his thumb up to her clit and began stroking her again, still not moving the rest of his fingers. Very slowly, he felt her begin to move her hips and took that as a sign. He slowly began to move his fingers inside of her, testing the waters, waiting to see if it felt good to her.

If he look on her face was any indication, it absolutely felt good. Her eyes drifted shut and her lips were open, her breathing becoming shorter and shorter. She started to make sounds, low short moans at first, but before long, they became louder and more desperate. Her hips were now rocking up to meet the stroke of his fingers, and before longer, her muscles were clenching around his fingers and she was coming.

The intensity of her first orgasm in almost two months brought tears to her eyes, but Filip was quick to kiss them away. Without warning, Fiona brought her lips back to his and kissed him deeply, their tongues tangling together. Her hands moved to his waist as she began to remove his pajamas. She knew, now more than ever, that she was ready for this. She wanted him, now.

He was naked next to her now, and his hand reached, once again, towards the small blue bottle, but she stopped him before he could do anything with it.

"Let me," she said, against his lips.

He surrendered the bottle and watched her in wonder and she opened the cap and allowed several drops to fall onto his cock. He hissed as the cold liquid hit his very sensitive skin over and over, but he was soothed immediately when her hands wrapped around him and began to smooth the liquid over him. With the warmth from her hands, it no longer felt cold at all. In fact, it felt…really fucking good.

He relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of her hands running over again, and was a tiny bit disappointed when it stopped. He opened his eyes, and found her exactly eye level with him.

"Filip," she said, her voice low and quiet. "I need you. Please."

If that wasn't the hottest thing she had ever said to him, he didn't know what was. He had been waiting weeks to hear her say that, and she finally had, and he was more than ready to deliver. He gently positioned her on her back and settled between her legs, never breaking eye contact.

"You'll tell me to stop if you need me to?" he asked, wanting to make sure that she enjoyed this as much as he would.

"Yes, Love. Just go slow," she reminded him.

He nodded and leaned down to kiss her gently, before finding her opening. As slowly and gently as he could manage, he began to inch himself inside of her. He marveled at how good she felt, and was relieved to find that that hadn't changed in the slightest. She was still incredibly hot around him, and somehow, still tight. He wanted more than anything to move, but he waited for her to tell him she was ready.

After all of her nervousness this morning, after all of the warnings from the doctor and Tara, Fiona was shocked to find that she wasn't in any pain, at all. In fact, her husband's considerably large cock was inside of her, and all she felt was amazing. Tentatively, she moved her hips against his, and felt another wave of pleasure building. Maybe it was a miracle or science or whatever, but she was having sex, with her husband, and it felt fucking amazing.

He took the smile on her face and the lust in her wide eyes as his cue to start moving. He was slow at first, heeding her request to be gentle. As Fiona adjusted, her confidence building with each thrust of his cock, her hips raised to meet his every move. They settled into a rhythm and just like that, they were caught up in an intense, fabulous round of sex.

She felt stupid to have though, for even a moment that this connection they shared, this incredible chemistry, might be gone. It had been with them since they were fourteen years old. It survived ten years apart, and three children, and she had been ridiculous to think that a mere six weeks without sex might have damaged it. She knew now that they would never, ever lose it, and even when they were elderly in a retirement home, this connection would still be easy to find.

Fiona could feel her orgasm building up yet again, and she very nearly cursed it. She loved the feeling of Filip inside her, and she wanted this to go on and on and on. One look at his face, however, told her that after six weeks of no sex, he was barely hanging on himself. She smiled and relaxed, and before she knew it, she was coming again, and so was he.

When he pulled out of her, she immediately missed him, but the feeling was somewhat tempered when he pulled her close to him and kissed her again, his lips pressed hard again hers and his tongue teasing. She may have just come twice, but this kind of kiss had her ready to go all over again, and she moaned against his mouth.

He ended he kiss with a smirk, asking her "Are you okay?"

"Oh yes, Love. I am okay. That was exactly what I wanted and needed. It was incredible. Thank you, my Filip," she whispered.

"Anytime, Darlin," he assured her. "Well, almost any time. Like, right now, for example, you might need to give me a few minutes, but then I'll be good to go."

She laughed, fully intending to take advantage of that offer, but right now, she was content to rest, happy in his arms.


	54. Chapter 54

**Hi guys! Here is the latest chapter. I am absolutely exhausted and it has kind of been a day from hell, so please forgive any errors. Thanks for reading and leave me some reviews, yeah?**

By the following afternoon, Filip and Fiona were both well rested and perfectly satisfied. They had spent the past day alternating between fantastic sex, long, lazy naps, and relaxing showers that lasted until the water ran cold. Most of all, they had really just enjoyed being together. As they went to pick up Adam from Jax and Tara, they decided that they really should do this sort of thing more often.

When they walked into Jax's house, everything was in a state of organized chaos. Abel was dancing around naked in front of the television with a sippy cup of juice. Tara was cleaning up a mess that Abel had managed to make in the kitchen. Gemma was in the living room, rocking Thomas who was somehow sound asleep even with the noise of Abel's cartoons, and Jax was at the kitchen table, feeding Adam. Filip smiled at the scene before, while Fiona pushed past him and headed right towards their son.

"Look Adam, your Mom's here," Jax said to the baby, handing him over to Fiona. "And your Dad, too. Maybe you can puke on one of them, now."

Worry clouded Fiona's features. "Has he been throwing up? Why didn't you call?"

Tara was glaring at Jax, but immediately looked towards Fiona. "Because he hasn't really been throwing up. Just spit up. Jax is being dramatic. Adam is fine, I promise. He has been an absolutely perfect baby all night, and if it weren't for the fact that we already have two of our own little monsters, I would probably steal him."

"Not a chance," FIlip argued, leaning over Fiona's shoulder to kiss his son. "We missed you, little boy."

"Aye, we did," Fiona smiled at Adam, who was perfectly content in his mother's arms, before looking back up at Tara, "But we will let you borrow him much more often."

Tara and Fiona shared a smile, while Jax shot a shit eating grin at Filip. Fortunately, any smart assed remarks were cut off by Gemma, "Next time you guys decide to go off on a sex bender, you better let me babysit, not Happy. When I showed up at the garage the other day, he barely let me anywhere near Adam. He was like a guard dog."

"You let Happy babysit?" FIlip asked, his eyebrows raised. "What happened to 'that scary bald man will never babysit our child'?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Fiona rolled her eyes. "I was in a hurry and kind of desperate, and he was the only one there. Juice was asleep on the couch. It was fine."

"What exactly were you so desperate for, Fi?" he asked with a playful smirk on his face.

Her eyes narrowed and her own grin settled on her face, but before she could answer him, Jax interrupted, "We really don't need to hear about that, guys. Let's keep talking about how cool your baby is. You should definitely not let my Mom baby sit for you, ever. She would probably return him to you clad in leather and with baby crows decorating ever spare inch. Remember how she kept trying to buy Abel a tiny leather jacket when he was a baby?"

It was Gemma's turn to narrow her eyes now. "I still say he would have looked adorable in it."

"Yeah, but Gemma, let's wait until he is out of preschool before we get him his first kutte and bike," Tara rolled her eyes. "Hey, maybe we can just give him a crow eater for his next birthday, save us all kinds of money."

Gemma chose to ignore them, and instead turned to Filip, "You know, we really should get this kid some SAMCRO onesies! Oh, we can get him a little hat, like Abel and Thomas!"

"Jesus Mom, why are you so obsessed branding a bunch of babies? Before we know it, you will have them in SAMCRO diapers!" Jax teased his mother.

"I am not branding them, Jackson! Just starting them off right. These three boys are the future of the Club," Gemma argued haughtily. "And I wonder if I could get some SAMCRO diapers."

Fiona noticed Filip become very, very tense for some reason. Nobody else noticed, because they were all too busy laughing at Gemma, but Fiona did. She laid a hand on his back and caught his eye, silently asking him if he was okay. He smiled at her, and she knew that whatever he had been thinking about was forgotten for now. Fiona loved that they could carry on entire conversations without say a single word. He made his way over to her and kissed her quickly.

"I'm fine," he assured her quietly while the others laughed and argued with one another. He reached for Adam. "Let me have him for a minute."

Filip held Adam and took a good look at his boy. It was still amazing to Filip to think about exactly how much he loved this kid. He had only known Adam for six weeks, but already there was nothing in this world that he wouldn't do to make his son safe and happy. Six short weeks, and he loved Adam just as much as he loved Kerrianne.

Adam was smiling at him and clutching his finger. There was no way that anybody could deny that this was a real, genuine smile. Filip couldn't believe how much his boy was growing and changing, each and every day. He was smiling now and moving around more, making eye contact with things. His eyes had darkened to a deep brown color, the same as his and Kerrianne's. According to the doctor, he had gained two pounds and was about half an inch bigger. If all of these changed had happened in just six short weeks, what would six months bring? Or six years? Filip really couldn't wait to find out.

He was broken out of his baby induced trance by Jax. "Have you heard from Juice at all today?"

"No, I haven't," FIlip answered honestly. "I figured that he would be laying low, taking it easy."

"He was doing much, much better yesterday afternoon," Tara jumped in. "He was up and walking around even. You did a fantastic job with the stitches and keeping the wound clean, by the way. He wasn't really in any pain at all."

"Yeah, thanks," he smiled, glad to have done something medically right for once in his life. "I am just glad that it wasn't any worse. It could have been really bad."

"I know, but it wasn't," Jax said, matter-of-factly. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all. I can't believe that Miles was trying to steal from us."

"Me either," Filip agreed. "I guess that he got what was coming to him. I just worry about how Juice is dealing with it all."

The three women were pretending to ignore them and focus on the babies, but each and every one of them knew what had happened with the drugs and Miles and Juice. Old Ladies were not generally supposed to be involved in Club business, but these were Old Ladies like none other. Besides none of them, not Jax, not Clay, and certainly not Filip, could keep a damned thing from them when they really wanted to know something.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Jax nodded. "You still going out to the warehouse tonight?"

"Aye," Filip said. "Gonna have dinner with Kerrianne when she gets home from school, but I will head out there tonight. Why?"

"Why don't you see if you can find Juice? Take him with you?" Jax suggested. "He may be my prospect, but he likes you better. Just see where he's at with all this. It might do him some good."

"Yeah, okay," Filip agreed, somewhat reluctantly. He wasn't actually convinced it would be a good idea for Juice to head back to the scene of the crime, so to speak.

Jax could obviously sense Filip's reluctance, and attempted to reassure him. "Look, man. Take him if you want, or don't. Just keep a close eye on him, alright? He trusts you, and if he will talk to anybody about it, he will talk to you."

As completely uncomfortable as it was for Filip to be the understanding, sensitive one that Juice could talk to, he knew that Jax had a point. He and Juice were good friends, and Juice had always been more open with him than he had been with any of the other brothers.

"Okay, Jackie-Boy. I will see if I can find him," Filip pledged, before turning to Fiona. "Let's go get our other kid, yeah? I kind of missed her too. Besides, maybe Kerrianne has heard from him."

It turned out that Kerrianne hadn't, in fact, heard from Juice. She had, however, brought home a completely perfect report card, which caused both of her parents an absurd amount of pride. Their girl had really turned things around and was a straight A student at a very challenging private school. On top of that, she was helping around the house and doing pretty much anything they asked her to do. She deserved every single glowing bit of pride her parents threw her way.

Kerrianne had demanded pizza for her birthday dinner, and an hour or so later, when it was delivered, Fiona had already made plans to further reward their daughter with some excessive shopping that Filip would probably be paying off for years.

Filip spent a couple of hours sitting with his girls, eating far too much pepperoni and mushroom pizza. He had a feeling that he would regret it later, but it was delicious, as was the company he was sharing it with. It did his heart good to see Kerrianne and Fiona laughing and smiling while Adam made cute baby noises from his seat. Regardless of whatever was going on with Juice, whatever was happening with the Club, his family was here. They were whole and they were happy and they were all his. That was enough for him.

Later that night, Filip changed Adam, kissed his wife goodbye, and told Kerrianne for the thousandth time how proud and happy he was. He pulled on a jacket and his kutte and his bike roared to life. The night was chilly, but not as bad as some there had been. It was clear and there were about a million stars disrupting the complete and total blackness of the evening. Everything seemed calm. It would have been a perfect evening, except for one glaringly obvious thing.

He couldn't find Juice. Filip had checked Juice's house, ridden by the Club house, and even cased a few of the boy's favorite bars. Juice wasn't anywhere to be found, and not a single soul that he spoke to could even recall seeing the boy for the past few hours. It was as if he up and disappeared.

Filip knew that Juice could be flighty sometimes. He knew that the boy had any number of places to hide, several people to find comfort with whenever he needed it. It struck him that Juice wasn't resorting to any of his old habits. He knew that what the kid had seen, what he had done, was weighing heavily, but the complete and total lack of Juice threw Filip.

As he was leaving the run down, shitty apartment of some crack whore that Juice slummed it with at the worst of times, it suddenly struck Filip that something was very wrong. His brother, his best friend, had shot and killed a trusted family member a couple of days ago. Yes, he had been stabbed in return, but Filip doubted if that even registered with the boy. After all of that, he had up and disappeared to someplace that even Filip couldn't find him. This was eight different kinds of not right, and Filip knew very keenly that he had made a mistake in letting Juice out of his sight.

Filip climbed back on his bike and rode off again, with real purpose. He had to find Juice, and he had to do it now.


	55. Chapter 55

**Short one tonight, guys! Sorry, it's been a hell of a day for me! Hope that you all enjoy and please leave some reviews!**

Filip had run out of time. He had been on a quest to find his best friend, who was obviously hiding from anybody and everybody, and he had run out of time. He was supposed to have found the kid and been at the warehouse more than an hour ago, but he had let the warehouse responsibility fall to the wayside in favor of finding the kid. Now, apparently, there was a vote regarding a change of leadership that had to happen, and he was supposed to bring he boy and meet the guys at the Clubhouse in an hour. This was just what they fucking needed right now. He would not only have to show up and admit that he had never arrived at the warehouse, but also that he had failed to find the boy wonder. Tonight was going over really, really well for him.

Figuring that he should, at the very least, stop in at the warehouse and make sure it hadn't completely dropped off the face of the earth, like Juice had, he turned and headed west. It wasn't far and the ride wouldn't be long, but he couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that had settled over him. He was very nearly afraid of what he would find if he went to the warehouse. It could be up in flames, it could have been taken over by a horde of angry clowns, it could be completely and totally fine. There was literally nothing that would surprise him.

He pulled up to a stop sign and waited, as he could see another bike approaching. He sincerely hoped that whoever it was, they would just wave and head to the Clubhouse. This wasn't normal for him. He usually relished time spent with his brothers and would pretty much always rather ride with them than without them, but tonight was different. He didn't think company would be of any benefit to him tonight. He needed to think things though, deal with whatever was going on, and he needed to do it alone. As Tig pulled up beside him, he racked his brain to try and think of a polite way to tell him to fuck off.

"Hey brother," Tig grinned as he stopped his bike next to Filip's. "You know that the Clubhouse is the other way, right? All that sex didn't make you lose your bearings, did it?"

Filip forced a smile and shook his head. "Close, but not quite. I need to head to the warehouse, see if I can find Juice and check on things. I will be back before the vote. That shit is crazy."

"You're telling me," Tig nodded. "Where the hell has Juice gotten to? He's been a little off the reservation lately. I am starting to think that he misses prison. Or maybe he just misses bunking with me."

"I'm sure that's it, Tiggy," Filip rolled his eyes. "Nah, he is just adjusting, and after all that shit with Miles, he deserves some time. He will be fine. If I ever find him, that is."

"Well, I'll ride with you out to the warehouse. Can't be too careful with all of this cartel shit," Tig reasoned, pulling off and doing a quick u-turn with his bike. "Let's get this done."

_Shit, _Filip thought. This was exactly what he hadn't wanted, but there was really no way to avoid it now. It looked like he was riding with Tig, whether he liked it or not. They took off and headed toward the warehouse, Filip knowing full well that there was nothing he could do about this situation now.

The ride was quick, and they passed almost nobody on the road. He figured that most normal people were at home, either in bed or spending time with their families. For the first time in a very long time, he wished that he was normal. Thinking of families only made him think of his own family, tucked safely away at home. No matter what happened tonight at the warehouse, no matter which direction this crazy vote landed in, no matter what was going on with Juice, it warmed Filip's heart to know that he could go home to his wife and kids.

They were coming up on the warehouse when they noticed the Teller-Morrow tow truck pulled off on to the side of the road. He knew pretty much right away that they had finally found Juice. The kid had taken the truck out, and that meant that wherever the truck was, Juice had to be as well. Filip noted a major flaw with that logic almost immediately. The truck was here, pulled off to the side of the road, the hood cold to the touch, and Juice was nowhere nearby.

Tig and Filip looked at each other, both of them wondering what the hell was going on. They were both quick to dismount their bikes and take a look around. It was pitch black, the headlamps on their bikes the only thing cutting through the darkness.

"The truck isn't locked and the keys are still in it," TIg reported. "He can't be far off. What the fuck is he doing out here?"

"Don't know," Filip replied, his sense of absolute _wrongwrongwrong_ being amplified by the minute. He turned towards the woods. "JUICE!"

They listened for a minute, staying quiet enough to hear any sign of life that might be there, but still the heard nothing. "JUICEY BOY!"

It was only another few seconds before Filip could make out a shape coming through the trees. He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized Juice jogging towards them, covered in leaves with his hood pulled up.

"What the fuck are you doing out here, man?" Tig asked, just as blunt as ever.

Juice was grinning and out of breath, almost as if he had sprinted towards them. There was something unnatural and almost unnerving about the smile on the boy's face. "Nothing. Just taking a piss."

Filip walked around Juice, slowly taking in the boy's appearance. There was something stiff about the way he was standing there, and the dead leaves and damp ground covering his black hoodie did nothing to help his appearance. Filip looked the kid up and down, brushing off his shoulder.

"What'd you do, take a spill?" Filip asked. Juice started to answer, but Filip's eyes caught the edge of an angry mark beneath Juice's hood. The skin on the front of the boy's neck was raw and red, all signed pointing to some sort of violent encounter, and a recent one too. "What the hell is this?"

Not many people would have noticed, but Juice's eyes got slightly desperate. "Crazy old man. He's got security wires all over the place out here."

It was a flimsy excuse, and both Filip and Juice knew it. Tig, however, seemed to have no problem accepting it for truth. "And you clothes lined it?" he asked with a grin. "You dumb ass."

Tig's laughter distracted both men from their thoughts as they joined in, just for show. Filip was trying to imagine how fast one might have to be running to clothes line a wire and have it do that much damage. Then, he was trying to come up with a reason as to why Juice might have been dashing through the woods, blind, at roughly forty miles per hour. He knew that no matter how hard he though, he wouldn't be able to come up with one. Juice was just hoping and praying that the guys would stop asking questions and he could get out of this mess without either of them discovering the truth.

"Come on, shit head," Tig said. "We need to get back to the Club house. Got a vote."

"Drugs?" Juice asked, relieved that they were no longer talking about his jaunt into the woods.

"Nah," Tig answered. "Change of leadership."

"Shit," Juice muttered, as he made his way back towards the tow truck. Tig climbed back on his bike. Filip, though, remained standing on the side of the road, his eyes on Juice. The boy knew, right then and there, that he hadn't fooled the older man.

Filip knew that he could stand there, in the middle of the road, all night, waiting for the truth to just appear, but it would do him no good. He knew something was up; he was well aware that there was _something_ that he wasn't seeing, and is he could only figure out what it was, than maybe he could help. Maybe he could figure out why his brother, his friend, was so miserable. Maybe he could figure out what the kid was running from. Right now, though, Filip just couldn't put it all together; just couldn't figure it all out.

"Chibs, man," Tig called out to him. "You coming?"

He climbed onto his bike, wishing that he could just leave all of these problems on the side of the road and ride back to the Clubhouse with his brothers. He knew that he couldn't do that though; he couldn't let all of this go. Not until he knew what was going on with his brother. So, he packed up all of his troubles, all of his concerns, and climbed on his bike.

"Yeah," Filip sighed, "I'm coming."


	56. Chapter 56

**Review friends!**

Filip was pacing up and down in front of the Club house. He kept lighting and smoking cigarette after cigarette, but it really wasn't helping. Some of the guys sat around nearby, but not a single one of them was relaxing. Their Club house had been shot up this morning, Alvarez was inside with a bullet in his shoulder, Tara had received a death threat this morning, and probably most importantly to Filip, his wife and children were not here yet.

It had been an absolute shit storm of a morning. They had been all set to vote on a very surprising change of leadership, when all hell had broken loose. Thousands of bullets had exploded all around them, and then there had been a dead guy and a bag of heads in their parking lot. Just when he thought that things couldn't get any more fucked up he found himself patching up Alvarez, a guy who had tried more than once to bring SAMCRO down, who had apparently been shot in the shoulder.

The good doctor had finally arrived and taken over, which he was glad of. He could handle scrapes and burns and stitches, but removing bullets was light years ahead of his skill level. She had also brought with her news that she had received a death threat in her car this morning, which was enough to put everybody on edge. If they had gotten to Tara, gotten close enough to put the note in her car, then there was literally no one that they couldn't get to.

He and some of the others had gone to back up Jax, hot on the trail of Alvarez's shooter. That had turned in to an absolute cluster fuck, complete with an apartment full of Mexicans, a large group of screaming children, and a couple of dead bodies by the end of it. The trip had not been completely useless, however. It had turned them on to the fact that the cartels liked to use families as leverage to get what they wanted, and it had set Filip on edge.

The decision had been quickly made to get everybody to the Club house. Tara and the boys were here, along with Gemma. While they were still cleaning up the mess at the apartment, Opie and Bobby had gone to get Lila, and were going to bring back Fiona, Kerrianne, and Adam, as well. That had been an hour ago, and they had not shown up yet. Filip knew that they were probably fine, knew that his brothers would bring his family back, but he wouldn't breathe easily until they were here safe. If something happened to them, to any one of them, he would quite literally set the world on fire.

He had too much on his mind right now, too many things spinning around in his head. He couldn't think clearly and he knew that if the mess in his head continued, he wouldn't be able to see clearly and things would get over looked. He spotted the van pulling through the front grate and allowed himself a small smile. At the very least, he was damned sure that the safety of his family was not what was getting overlooked.

He got to the van and thanked his brothers, noting the tension in Opie and the absence of Lila. He turned to greet his family, gathering Kerrianne in his arms as she climbed out of the van, and kissing Fiona before helping her get Adam out.

"What on Earth is going on, Filip?" Fiona asked, trying to juggle Adam's carrier and the diaper bag.

Filip took the bag from her before looking at her and shaking his head. "I don't know for sure, Fi. Some crazy shit is happening with the cartel. Tara got a threat and I want you all here until we know for sure what is happening."

Fiona nodded. She wanted to be annoyed, wanted to be upset that they were hiding out in a compound again, but one look at the tension and worry on her husband's face, and any anger she might have felt flew out the window. She could tell that he was dealing with too much right now, and all she wanted to do was make it okay.

They all made their way into the Club house, where Kerrianne went straight to the bar and attempted to order a Jameson from Piney, who gave her a Coke instead, which was fine, because that was what she had really wanted in the first place. Fiona was shocked by the all of the damage surrounding them. The Prospects had done what they could to clean up the glass and make the place not terrifying, but it really hadn't worked. Had her Filip really been sitting in here when this damage happened?

Fiona swallowed her panic for just a moment. She handed Adam's carrier off to Gemma, knowing that she would fawn over the boy for a few minutes. She saw that Kerrianne was occupied at the bar with Piney, and Filip was in the middle of a conversation with Jax and Opie. She sincerely hoped that nobody took notice when she made her way back to the bathroom. She barely got the door shut before she sank to the floor and buried her face in her hands.

She had been at home all night, pouting because her Filip was gone and she wanted him home. He had been here, getting thousands of bullets fired at him. It had just hit her that her husband could have very well died this morning. He had been sitting here for a vote, not twenty feet away, and he could have taken a bullet to the head. Add to that the fact that apparently families were receiving death threats, and she was suddenly finding it very hard to breathe.

The door opened it, and she jumped half a foot, wiping at her eyes, before she saw that it was her Filip. She should have known that he would come after her. He was always looking out for her, always worried about her first. Of course he would have followed her. Without even a second thought, he sank to the ground next to her and pulled her into his arms. His very presence brought her comfort, and things didn't seem quite so bad now that he was here and free of holes.

"You okay, Fi?" he muttered into her hair.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I just let it get to me for a minute. You could have died, Filip."

"Ah," he said. "I'm fine. No need to get upset, Love. I'm just glad you guys are okay."

"Of course we're fine. I've got Kerrianne around, and I dare anybody to get past her," Fiona joked, before turning serious again. "What caused all of this? What's happened here, Filip?"

"Cartels at war with each other," Filip said, looking down. "This goddamned drug shit is hitting way, way too close to home. None of this should be happening."

"I know, Love, but it is happening. It will be fine, though. Just as long as you're okay," Fiona told him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Can't have anything happen to you, Filip. Don't know what I would do without you."

"You'll never have to find out, Fi," he told her. He was stricken with guilt that he had put this stress on her, that he had brought this trouble to their doorstep, simply by being a member of the Club. All of this shit that was happening was because of the cartel deal. Things had been going south since they had voted it in, and now the Club house was shot up and families were in danger and though he had absolutely no proof, he just knew that whatever was going on with Juice was somehow related to this drug thing.

"Tell me what's going on in that head of yours, Filip," Fiona asked him softly.

"What? Nothing, I am fine, Darlin," he insisted.

"No, you're not," she told him. "And you're a bad liar. Just tell me."

He knew that she had him, and he knew it would do no good to keep insisting that nothing was wrong. "It's this; all of this! They voted in this drug deal and look what happened because of it. Everybody is at each other's throats and people are threatening to kill Tara. What if it had been you? Or Kerrianne? I would have lost it, Fi. Everybody is on edge. Something is going on with Juice, something bad, and I can't figure it out. There is just too much happening and I can't stay on top of it."

"Oh, Filip," she said. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"What would I have said?" he asked. "That I don't respect my own Club, or what it is doing? That there was a possibility that our family could get hurt because of it? That I think my best friend might…"

"Might what?" she pushed.

"Might be going crazy, I guess. Might have done something stupid," Filip explained. "I just didn't think it would be like this when the guys got out, Fi. I thought things would get better, not worse."

"Things will get better, Love," Fiona promised. "And you are a good friend and a good man, but you can make Juice talk about anything; not until he is ready. But when he is ready, Filip, it will be you that he comes to. He knows that you love him."

"Yeah," he nodded. "I guess you're right."

"I always am. And everything will work out, Love. We're here and we're fine, and the Club will settle down, it always does," she reminded him.

"Yeah," he nodded and then turned to look at her, glad that she had calmed down, but still needed to make sure that his family was safe. "You carrying, Fi?"

She had known that he would ask, just as well as she knew he would be annoyed when she gave him her answer. "No, I'm not."

"I want you to start," he told her, really leaving no room for negotiation. He pulled a .38 out of his jeans and handed it to her. "I can't always be around, and I need to know that you are safe."

She didn't like it, but she took the gun anyway, knowing that she would use it if it meant protecting her family. "Happy now?"

He managed to smile at her, completely in awe of how she managed to make him feel lighter and happier, just by being around. "Yes."

"Good," she said. "Now kiss me."

He didn't need to be told twice.


	57. Chapter 57

**Hi friends. Sorry for the long wait. This was a difficult chapter to write with exceptionally heartbreaking subject matter. I only hope that I did it even a little bit of justice. Thanks for reading and please review.**

If Filip had thought that his day was going to improve, he had been sorely wrong. Luckily, he fully expected it to get even more fucked up, so he had not been in any way surprised to find himself crowded around a tortilla truck with about thirty other guys, wearing a bullet proof vest, armed with an automatic weapon, staring at the headless bodies of some Arizona brothers. It seemed as though the shit was hitting the fan and they were all standing around without umbrellas. Again.

His family was at Gemma's house, completely safe and sound. Unser and the Prospects were with them, as were Tara and the boys. They had planned on keeping everybody at the Club house, but as it was an active crime scene, the police had unceremoniously kicked them out of Teller Morrow, leaving them no real choice. At least at Gemma's house, they would be safe and well protected, but also reasonably comfortable. In addition, there were no stripper poles at Gemma's house; at least none that he knew about anyway.

He really wished that he was there with them. Hell, he really wished that he was anywhere but here, in a field in the middle of nowhere, helping clean up the blood and carnage, and listening to Jax argue with Alvarez and the cartel bosses. Filip was attempting to keep his head down and just do what needed to be done, but he was completely agitated and frustrated. They were neck deep in shit creek, and Filip really couldn't see a way out. For the first time, he didn't trust that anybody in this Club had a plan that made even an ounce of sense.

If all of that wasn't enough, there was still this whole issue with Juice that was bothering him. Juice could have been killed tonight, and all because his head was somewhere off in the clouds. If the kid wasn't staring off into space, looking a nothing, than he was staring directly at his own feet, mumbling to himself. Filip had tried giving him time, tried giving him space, and tried asking him casually what was happening. Filip was done being patient. He was going to get the truth, even if he had to beat it out of the boy.

They were just about finished cleaning up the mess, when Juice turned to him.

"I'm gonna head back to the warehouse with Tacoma," he said, not quite meeting Filip's eyes. "I won't be able to sleep."

Filip could understand that. There was no way he would be sleeping tonight either; in fact he doubted that any of them would be getting much rest. That much, at least, he bought. The past year or so of dealing with a teenager, added to more than enough life experience of his own, had given him the keen ability to know when he was being lied to, and he was most definitely being lied to. "Yeah, okay."

Filip allowed his eyes to follow the boy as he mounted his bike and started it. They continued to follow him as the bike rode off. It didn't take more than a minute or so for Filip to decide to follow the boy. He wasn't sure why, but he knew that his friend needed him.

"Jackie Boy," Filip said as he approached the VP. "I'm headed out."

"Everything okay?" Jax asked, and Filip immediately felt bad. He should be focused on helping the Club deal with this shit right now, but he just couldn't. He needed to sort this out.

"I don't know," Filip replied honestly. "I just need to take care of something."

"Should I even ask?" Jax wondered with a small smile.

"No," was all Filip said before turning and heading towards his own bike.

"Chibs, man," he heard Jax call out. "If you need anything, you know where to find me, okay?"

"I know," he nodded, hoping that Jax knew how much he appreciated the offer.

He cranked his bike and took off, really having no idea where exactly he should go. Juice could literally be on his way to Canada right now, for all Filip knew. He had said that he was going to the warehouse, so Filip did the only thing he could think that made any sort of sense. He figured that maybe, just maybe, he had been wrong and Juice could actually be at the warehouse. Deep down, he knew that he wasn't wrong, but still; he had no other leads to go on, so he figured that it wouldn't hurt to look.

He had only been riding for a couple of miles or so when he came upon a motorcycle parked off of the road, almost as if somebody had made a half-assed attempt at hiding it. He knew before he even stopped his bike that he had found Juice. This was very close to the exact same spot they had found him in last night, and Filip's sense of dread grew. He wondered if Juice would claim to be taking a piss this time.

As Filip climbed off his bike and found what could only be a trail leading back into the woods, he paused for a moment. He knew that if he followed this path, he was going to find some answers, but there was some ominous voice in his head that kept insisting that he wouldn't like the answers he found. It was almost as if he knew what was happening, knew what he would find if he left the road and pursued Juice deeper into the woods, but his brain just refused to let him put the pieces together, refused to let him come to the conclusion that was there, just out of reach.

Filip took a deep breath as he started off through the woods. There was a chill in the air that had goose bumps popping up all over his skin, and he found himself hoping that Kerrianne had a sweatshirt with her and that Fiona had made sure to pack a hat for Adam. It struck Filip as funny that, even here in the middle of the woods about to face God knows what, and he was still thinking about his children, both of whom were safe and perfectly warm at Gemma's house. Constant worry and concern for your children was kind of part of the deal when you were a father.

The moon was full and high in the sky, so it provided just the smallest amount of light as Filip made his way deeper and deeper into the woods. He heard Juice before he saw him, heard a rustling and what sounded like something metallic. As soon as he caught sight of the boy, still many yards ahead of him, Filip stopped in his tracks. Juice was hunched down, on his knees, and for just a moment, he thought that the boy might have been praying. He wondered what Juice could have been praying about. He wondered when his friend had become so sad and broken. Mostly, he wondered what he could do to fix it.

Upon closer look, Filip noticed that Juice was not, in fact, praying, but instead he was on the ground struggling with something. Filip squinted his eyes and tried to figure out what on earth the kid was doing, when his eyes caught sight of something metal. It was a chain, and that explained the metallic sound he had heard earlier; it had literally been chains clanging together. He immediately pictured Marley's ghost, but pushed that thought from his mind. Filip's eyes followed the trail of the chain across the bed of leaves on the forest floor. It lead directly to Juice; directly to the broken branch of a tree.

Before Filip could even think, the heavy weight of the truth settled over him and he was moving forward, out of the shadows and into the small clearing. He stepped on a branch and the crack had Juice jumping out of his skin, on his feet in a matter of seconds.

"Oh, shit!" Juice exclaimed, just staring straight at him. "You scared me, man."

Filip didn't say anything, instead he just walked forward; stopping once he reached the chain. His eyes never left Juice's, but he bent down and picked up the cold metal and held it in his hands, looking at his brother. There were no words, there was literally nothing Filip could say right now that Juice would want to hear and literally nothing that Juice could say to make this right. After weeks and weeks of lies and half-truths and hiding, Juice knew that he had been caught, red handed, and there was no way he could lie his way out of this.

Filip's eyes were challenging, daring Juice to lie; to come up with a reason for why he was out here, in the middle of the night, with a bruised neck for all the world to see, trying to remove a chain from the broken branch of a tree. Filip saw the reality of the situation sink in; recognized that they were both aware that the truth was out in the open again. Filip closed the distance between himself and Juice in just a few short steps.

"JESUS!" he screamed, as he clenched the fabric of Juice's hoodie in his hands. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Filip knew exactly what Juice was doing, though. The boy was here, trying to remove evidence of the worst sort of sin. Trying to simply erase the fact that he had tried to end his own life; as if it could be done so easily. Filip was aware that he was shaking Juice, and somehow, they ended up on the forest floor. He shoved the trembling boy away from him.

"You coward," he spat at the kid who laying in a fetal position atop the damp leaves.

Filip made his way to the tree, the very tree that Juice tried to hang himself in, and leaned against the trunk, his fingers combing through his hair. He was full of rage. He was furious at the boy, cowering only a few feet away from him. He was furious at whatever made him think that suicide was the right answer. He was furious that his friend, the man he considered his brother, had thought that this was even a choice. Mostly, he was furious at himself.

He knew, had known for a very long time, that something was not right. He had asked, sure, but that clearly hadn't been enough. He had never, not in a million years, thought that it might come to this. He should have pushed harder. He should have insisted that Juice come clean. Damn it, he should have done something! Filip stopped right there, though. This wasn't his fault. He HAD done something. He had done everything that he could think of to get to the truth, but Juice just hadn't given it to him.

For a moment, a very short, very scary moment, Filip hated him. He hated this child (and when it came down to it, that's all Juice really was-a child), this shell of a man lying on the dead leaves. He felt nothing but disgust and rage and absolutely blackness, but then, the sound of quiet sobs hit his ears, and the hatred and vile feelings just dissolved.

In that moment, a new instinct took over; he wasn't a brother, he wasn't a Son. In that moment, first and foremost, Filip was a father. The sound of crying always, always brought his son, his Adam, to the forefront of his mind. The boy laying only feet from him wasn't just Filip's friend and brother, he was Kerrianne's confidant and Adam's godfather. More than that, he was somebody's son. Shit, for all intents and purposes, he might as well be Filip's own son. If, God forbid, it were Kerrianne or Adam here right now, he would want somebody to reach out and help them.

"Hey," he said quietly, moving towards the sobbing boy. "Get up, come on. Get up."

Filip was once again grasping Juice's jacket, but instead of throwing him to the ground, he dragged Juice to his feet. He held the boy at a distance for a moment, taking in his tears and the sheer broken countenance of the person in front of him. He shook his head, still trying to figure out what on earth the kid could have been thinking. It didn't matter though; what he had been thinking wasn't all that important right now, and Filip knew that he could probably never understand the thoughts and decisions that had lead his friend to this place, but he could try like hell to make it better. Right now, he just pulled the boy into his arms and let him cry.

"Come on," he said, knowing full well that his words weren't adequate, but hoping that Juice would be comforted anyway. "Alright, come on, boy. Come on."

Filip knew that at some point, he would have to get Juice back through the woods and onto his bike in fit condition to ride. There would eventually have to be some conversation, along with some yelling and possibly even a few punches thrown. They had all the time in the world for that, though, and right now, Filip was just grateful that he finally, finally knew the truth, or at least part of it.

He pulled the still crying and barely stable boy through the forest, back towards the road. As they stepped out from the woods and back into the clear, cold night, Filip caught sight of the stars that literally lit up the inky black sky. He paused for a moment and said a silent prayer, thanking God that his best friend was a fuck up and hadn't been successful in his suicide attempt. He took a deep breath and kept dragging the kid towards the bikes, knowing that they would get through this, no matter what.


	58. Chapter 58

**Here's the next chapter! This one is for the spectacular Ambrosia Rush, in hopes that March is warmer and free of injuries and full of writing! Enjoy, friends, and please review!**

It took a while, but Filip had managed to get Juice calm enough to ride, and Juice followed him back to the house. He knew that there was a lot that needed to be done and that Juice would have a lot of explaining to do, but Filip was mainly concerned with getting the boy someplace safe and not in the woods. At the very least, they wouldn't be disturbed at his house.

He managed to get the kid in the house and deposit him at the dining room table before heading to the kitchen. Filip figured that this sort of conversation would probably go better with a side of whiskey. He grabbed a bottle of Jameson from on top of the fridge and pulled two glasses from the cabinet, before pausing. He wondered for just a minute whether it was really a good idea to give an apparently suicidal boy hard liquor. He brushed that thought aside relatively quickly, though, and figured that at this point, it couldn't really hurt.

When he entered the dining room, Filip stopped for just a minute and looked at Juice. He was sitting at the table, and Filip swore that he had never seen the other man look so small. He was just sitting in the chair with his hands on the table, hunched over and staring at absolutely nothing. Even from several feet away, it looked almost as if some invisible force was shaking the boy; as if his whole body was humming with nerves.

He continued into the room and saw Juice nearly jump out of his skin when he sat down at the table. Filip poured a measure of the amber colored drink into each glad before sliding one across the table to the other man. There were so many things that he wanted to ask and say and do, but he had no idea where to even start. On one hand, Juice looked like he was a hair's breadth away from another breakdown and Filip had zero desire to hurry him towards that goal. However, on the other hand, Filip needed answers, and Juice was the only one that could provide them.

Juice looked at the liquid in the glass, and then briefly looked at Filip, a question in his eyes, almost as if he was asking permission to drink it.

"Thought you could use a drink," Filip said, raising his glass in a somewhat mocking salute before downing the drink.

"Thanks," Juice said, his voice barely audible, before he followed suit.

They sat in silence as seconds ticked by into minutes. Filip stared at the young man across from him, who was looking literally anywhere else. Filip waited patiently. He knew that he could end this simply by asking the boy a direct question, but he wasn't about to do that. This was about Juice, and Filip needed for the boy to speak up on his own; needed to know that there was still some courage and sense swimming around somewhere inside the kid. It took more than ten minutes for Juice to open his mouth, and when he did, his words surprised Filip.

"I'm sorry," Juice whispered.

"What?" was the only thing Filip could think to reply with.

"I'm sorry, Chibs," he repeated, more loudly this time. "I'm so, so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"Explain, Juice," Filip demanded, his words sounding much more harsh than he intended. "Explain what is going on that made you think that this was the answer."

"It was just…everything!" Juice tried to explain. "I killed a brother. Whatever else he was, Miles was a brother. That very same day, I was laughing and drinking beer with him, and then a few hours later, I was shooting him in the face. It just didn't…make any sense. It didn't seem real; it still doesn't. Even right now, I am having a hard time believing that I could have done that. And then there is all of this shit with the drugs."

Juice stopped to take a breath and help himself to another drink. Filip poured his own drink, and really began to consider what the boy must have been thinking. Killing anybody was hard, and it was never something to be taken lightly, but killing a brother, even a dirty one, could be crushing.

"Keep talking, boy," Filip ordered. "What else?"

"We're drug dealers, Chibs!" Juice finally spit out. "Maybe we don't cut it and hand it to street kids, but it's stupid to pretend that we aren't just as bad as the people who do. I used to be a street kid, and I have heard enough stories to know that you were, too, and we're involved in the same shit that turns those street kids into grown up waste cases. We deal drugs with a dangerous Mexican cartel, and for what? Money?"

The kid was on a tangent now, and Filip wasn't about to interrupt him. He clearly had a lot on his mind and these were things that he had obviously been thinking about for a long time. Filip figured that it was best to just let the kid get it out in the open.

"I don't know, man. Between Miles and the drugs, things have been bad, and then I've got Roosevelt up my ass, trying to get _something_. I just know that he wants me back in prison," Juice said. He looked up and met Filip's eyes. "I can't go back to prison, Chibs. I just can't."

It was obvious that the kid was riled and looked to Filip like he might start crying again at any minute. "Hey now, just relax. You're fine," Filip insisted.

"Okay," Juice said, taking a deep breath. "I just saw what was happening, to the Club and to me, and I didn't think I could live with it anymore. It was just…too much. So I did something completely stupid, and I'm sorry for it, so sorry."

It seemed like Juice was done talking for now. He was back to staring down at his own hands, but at least he wasn't shaking this time. Filip knew that he should say something; try to somehow comfort the boy. He was coming up blank.

"What am I supposed to do here, Juicey Boy?" Filip asked, half expecting an answer, but he knew that he wouldn't get one. "You tried to kill yourself. Looks like you very nearly succeeded, too. I don't know how you come back from that. And how am I supposed to let you out of my sight knowing that you could try something like this again at any minute?"

"Please, man," Juice pleaded him to understand. "I'm not going to do it again, I swear. It was a mistake and I won't make the same one again."

"I hope that you don't," Filip said. "But that's not how it works. I don't know if I can trust you when you say that."

"I know," Juice agreed.

"What am I supposed to tell everybody, Juice?" Filip asked suddenly. He could see the terror rising in Juice's eyes as soon as the question was out of his mouth. He was all too well aware that one of the many problems that this boy would have to face was the fact that Sons just didn't kill themselves. It was just not something that was done and it would earn him, at the very least, an automatic patch removal if the guys found out. Filip knew that this wasn't a secret that he could keep buried forever, but he would give the boy some time, at the very least.

"Please, Chibs," the boy whispered, the tone of his voice leaving very little doubt that he was outright begging. "You can't tell anybody. Please. I'll do anything. They'll strip my patch, maybe kill me. I have nothing, absolutely nothing, without this Club. I don't have a wife and kids who love me regardless of the Club. I don't have a home anywhere but here. You can't tell them. Please, man. Please."

Filip shook his head and said, "Listen, calm down. I'm not going to head to chapel tonight, boy. I can't keep this secret forever Juice. That makes me just as culpable as you, and I won't do that. I won't let anything happen to you, though. I've told you before; you're not just a part of my Club, you're a part of my family, and I take care of my family."

Juice nodded and immediately tried to calm himself. Filip sighed and continued, "Well, we're not going to solve all of your shit tonight. Why don't you go get some rest. You can sleep in Kerrianne's room, she's not here, but I swear to God, if you go anywhere near her underwear drawer, suicide will be the least of your worries."

"I wouldn't do that," Juice insisted with a small smile. "Thanks, Chibs. I didn't want anybody to find out, but if somebody had to figure all of this out, I'm glad it was you."

"Well, that makes one of us," Filip smirked at the boy.

Juice got up and headed down the hallway. Filip stayed at the table and poured himself another drink. When he heard the door close, he laid his head on the table, softly hitting his skull against the hard wood in an effort to free himself from the mental imagine of his best friend curled on the ground underneath that tree. It didn't work, so he stopped pretty quickly and just sat there.

Filip waited several minutes, until he heard soft snores coming for down the hallway. It was nearly one in the morning, but he picked up his cell and dialed the number he knew by heart.

It rang twice before she answered, "Filip?"

"Yeah, it's me. Hey," he said with a smile.

"Where are you, Love? I've been waiting to hear from you. With all of this madness, you had me worried," she admitted.

"I'm sorry, Darlin. I'm at home. Are the kids asleep?" he asked, hoping very much that they were.

"Yeah, Kerrianne drifted off around eleven or so and I just fed Adam and put him back down," Fiona told him.

"Good," he said, before continuing. "Can you have Tara keep an eye on the kids and make one of the Prospects bring you home?"

"What? Why? Are you hurt?" she asked, a tone of panic settling in her voice.

"No, I'm not hurt, but I need you here, Fi. Please," he quietly pleaded.

It was the middle of the night and she was dressed in pajamas and not much else and it was pretty cold outside, but there was something about the tone of his voice, something about the quiet, almost desperate way he asked that let her know he was serious.

"Yeah, call the big one and tell him, they won't just listen to me. I am just going to find some shoes. I'll be there soon, Love," she promised before hanging up.

Filip made the call and then put his phone down, just waiting. He wasn't even drinking the whiskey in his glass, and really thought that the taste of it might make him vomit. He was busy thinking; listing all of the way that he had failed the man sleeping in his daughter's room down the hall. He should have pushed harder and never let it get that far, never should have let Juice feel like killing himself was the only option he had.

It took less than ten minutes from the time he made the first phone call for the front door to open. Fiona rushed in, followed relatively closely by Filthy Phil. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him sitting at the table. He managed to smile at her and nod at the Prospect.

"Thanks for bringing her, I've got it. Head back to Gemma's," he instructed the man, who just nodded at him. They both stayed still under they heard the bike start and ride away.

Fiona knew that something was wrong, and when she heard the snoring that drifted down the hall, she realized that Juice was here and knew that whatever was bothering her husband probably had something to do with the boy. She made her way over to the table and sat down next to him, taking one of his hands and kissing it.

"Juice is here?" she asked, mostly because she knew that flat out asking him what was wrong was not the right way to go about it.

"Yeah, in Kerri's room," he told her, and then looked in her eyes. "I think we will need to get that bed for the spare room tomorrow. Juice is going to need to stay with us for a while."

Fiona nodded, knowing that if Filip was saying that this needed to happen, then it needed to happen. She could tell that something had happened, and she really wanted to give him time to tell her in his own way, but she couldn't wait anymore. "Did something happen, Filip?"

He nodded, and they both ignored the wavering in his voice when he said, "Juice tried to hang himself in a tree near the warehouse. I found him tonight trying to clean up the mess." He looked up at her. "My friend tried to kill himself, Fi."

She was too shocked to even move for a second. Fiona knew that Juice had been troubled, but there was a major difference between being troubled and hanging yourself in a tree. She hadn't been sure what to expect when Filip called her tonight but it sure as hell hadn't been this.

"Oh, Love," she squeezed his hand, before standing up and wrapping her arms around him, holding him close. She knew that he was probably taking all of this on, blaming himself for not stopping the unstoppable. For a long time, she just held onto him, giving him any comfort she could. After a few minutes, she leaned back and he looked up at her. She bent to kiss him softly, hoping that he knew that she would always be here if he needed her. "Come on, let's go to bed."

He nodded and stood, leaving the whiskey exactly where it was on the table. She never let go of his hand as they made their way down to the hall and into their bedroom. She climbed into bed and waited for him to undress and join her. When he finally did, she pulled him close to her and just held him as she stroked his hair.

"We'll take care of him, Filip. He will be okay," she whispered to him. He heard her and lifted his head just enough to find her lips. The kiss was intense and full of nothing but absolute love. He was so fucking grateful that she was here, that she would always come when he called. It was her love that kept him from being where Juice was right now, and he was beyond thankful for it.

Fiona let the kiss endure for a few minutes before she ended it and running her hand over his cheek, "Sleep now, Love."

"I love you, Fi," she heard him whisper as his eyes closed, and before she knew it, she was drifting off to sleep as well.


	59. Chapter 59

**Sorry for the delay in posting updated. Real life has been insane lately! I have had Filip and Fiona on the brain lately, so I had to post this little bit of sweetness. Thanks for taking a few minutes to read, and please review! Have a great day!**

Fiona was humming to herself as she washed the dishes. Unlike most people, she actually enjoyed washing dishes. It was true that her Filip didn't mind cooking, but cleaning up after cooking was something he absolutely hated, and occasionally flat out refused to do. Fiona was the exact opposite. Cooking was her bane, but she found washing the dishes relaxing and took a great deal of pleasure in just letting her mind wander while she completed the effortless task. The water was as hot as she could possibly make it, and the dish soap smelled like Hawaiian Breeze or something similar. The kettle was on for tea, the coffee was brewing, and her mind was certainly wandering.

Right now, she was concentrating on her apparently expanding family. Filip had said that Juice would need to stay with them for a while and she had no problem with that. It would be good for the boy and it would allow them to keep a close eye on him. It would be good for Filip to, take some of the worry away from him and allow him to sleep easier at night. She herself enjoyed Juice's company; she found him helpful and kind and absolutely hilarious. Juice was good with his godson, so Fiona really doubted that Adam would have too much of a problem with their new house guest.

Her main worry was Kerrianne. Her daughter was quickly approaching sixteen. Fiona could recall with stunning, vivid clarity what sixteen felt like, and she was well aware of her daughter's impossible crush on the SAMCRO intelligence officer. She wondered for a moment how okay Kerrianne would be with her teenage crush sharing a bathroom and a bedroom wall. It almost made her reconsider, but she knew that Kerrianne would understand the need for this. The girl may have a pretty deep crush, but she was also an amazing friend, and when that friendship was stacked against that crush, there was absolutely no contest.

Her thinking stopped for a moment when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. Filip came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her close, and pressed a kiss to her cheek as she leaned back against him.

"Morning, Darlin'" he said quietly, not making any efforts to let her go.

"Good morning to you," she said with a smile. "Did you get enough rest?"

"I'm fine," he assured her, still not willing to let her go. Fiona was fine with that. She happened to like him right where he was. She figured that he was getting a pretty good view down her shirt right now. It was one of his old SOA ones and it hung low around her neck. "Thanks for coming home last night, Fi. Just…needed you here I guess."

She reached for the dish towel and dried her hands, before turning in his arms and sliding her hands up his chest. "I will always be here when you need me, and even sometimes when you don't. It's part of my job."

"I'm glad," he smiled, resting his forehead against hers. "Don't know what I'd do without you, Fi. You save me every day, you know that?"

She would be a liar if she said that his words didn't melt her just a little bit. It was one of the many things she loved about him; his complete and total honesty and willingness to bare his heart to her. "Well, then. I suppose I had better stick around."

He laughed softly and tightened his grip around her waist. "I'd like to see you try to escape."

"I wouldn't dream of it," she assured him, as she rose to her tiptoes and pressed a kiss against his waiting lips. She could never seem to get enough of kissing him. His lips never failed to make her weak in the knees. It had been this way since she was a teenager and she sincerely hoped that it would always stay this way. Just when she was beginning to wonder if she could coax him to the bedroom, they were interrupted by the shrill ringing of the goddamned phone.

He groaned against her lips, "Can we just ignore it?"

"Our kids aren't home, so probably not," Fiona reminded him, feeling every bit as agitated as he did. She really, really wanted to be in bed with him, right now.

"I suppose you're right," he agreed and picked up the phone.

Fiona watched him while he made himself a cup of coffee, which he somehow preferred over tea. The sound of his voice had always made her heart beat a little bit faster. He moved about the kitchen, and Fiona just couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was more relaxed now than he had been last night and the sleep had obviously helped immensely. He was casual and comfortable here at home. His kutte was somewhere in the bedroom. As much as women in this town seemed to swoon over the leather vests, she thought that he looked better without it. She liked him just fine in his ten year old navy blue button up shirt and his very favorite pair of jeans that always looked like they couldn't possibly survive one more trip through the washer. She really should throw them away, but she liked the way his ass looked in them far, far too much to do that.

She made herself a cup of tea and hopped up on to the counter, taking a seat to enjoy the view. She watched him on the phone, smiling as he nodded, completely oblivious to the fact that the person on the other end couldn't see him. He sipped his coffee, burning his tongue like he did each and every time he rushed to drink the brew before it had time to cool. She still couldn't get over just how completely and totally she loved this man. She loved the way his lips moved as he talked, loved the way his hands just couldn't stay still, always fidgeting or moving, or better yet, running up and down her body. She loved the way his eyes narrowed just slightly and squinted when he laughed at the person on the other end of the line. When it came down to it, she just loved him. All of these things about him had lured her in and ensured that she belonged to him from the very beginning.

He caught her staring and a smirk played on his face. She listened to him quickly end the conversation and hang up the phone, before he sauntered over to where she was perched on the counter.

"Our children are ready to be picked up, "he informed her, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her. "Which means that I can't carry you off to the bedroom and give you something to really stare at, but know that I really, really want to, Love."

"Well, that makes two of us," she said with a smile and she grasped his shirt. "At least kiss me again, and then I'll go get them, I promise."

He didn't hesitate to comply with her wish. His lips were soft, but demanding and his tongue moving against hers did nothing to motivate her to leave anytime soon, but before she knew it, he was ending the kiss. He rested his head against her shoulder for a moment, and she wrapped her arm around him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Are you going to let me up so I can go get the wee ones?" she asked, making no move to let him go.

He groaned, before straightening up. "No, I'll go get them."

That surprised her. She figured that he would want to stay and make sure he was around when Juice got up. "Are you sure?"

"Aye, I wanna talk to Kerrianne for a bit. That was her on the phone. She is demanding McDonald's for breakfast. I will handle these kids, as long as you can keep an eye on the newest addition," he nodded down the hall where Juice was still snoring away.

"For you? Anything," she agreed with a smile, before turning the conversation in a slightly more serious direction. "Are you going to tell Kerri? About Juice, and exactly why he will be staying with us for the foreseeable future?"

He sighed heavily, and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know; I was thinking about it. She spends an awful lot of time with him, and it just seems like a good idea. What do you think?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "It makes sense to tell her. She's going to be pretty upset, though. You know that, right?"

"Aye, of course. What do I say to her, Fi?" he asked, clearly at a loss, and Fiona just knew that he thought it was because he wasn't as well practiced in fatherhood as he would like to be. If only he knew that she was just as lost in this situation as he was. "How do I tell her that she needs to be careful because her friend tried to hang himself in the woods? This really isn't the sort of conversation I ever imagined having with our daughter."

"I know, Love," she agreed. "You will do better than you think. You are a good Da, Filip. Just tell her the truth and explain things the best you can without absolutely terrifying her. Don't give too many gory details, and if she wants, she can talk to him herself."

"I kind of hope she will. She had this way about her that just makes people see very clearly when they are being stupid as hell," he pointed out.

"Agreed," she said with a smile. "You'll do just fine. Bring us back some breakfast, because you know I won't be cooking for Juice when he wakes up. I will handle getting him a bed for his brand new bedroom today. Maybe I will even punish him by making him go shopping with me."

Filip grinned at her. "God, I love you."

"I love you, too," she said. "Now go get them. I miss my kids."

"Fine," he said, going to get the keys. "But you're not going to hog Adam when we get home. I miss them, too."

"Oh, and I supposed you are going to breastfeed, are you?" she asked, an eyebrow cocked at him.

He looked horrified at the mere suggestion. "Don't even joke. I suppose you can have him, for a while, but as soon as you're done…"

"Yeah, I get it. He's all yours," she agreed, much to his delight. "You just remember that when he needs a diaper change."

He laughed and then kissed his wife goodbye, before heading to get their children. Fiona watched him leave, her eyes still not leaving his jeans clad ass, wishing for just a moment that their kids had slept for an extra house or so. Her thoughts lingers for a minute or two, even after the door shut, but eventually, she shook her head and hopped down from the counter. The dishes weren't going to put themselves away.

She started humming an old familiar tune as she began to stack the plates.


	60. Chapter 60

**Here is the next part! Hope that you guys enjoy, and thanks for taking the time to read! **

Fiona had just finished up the kitchen chores and was making herself a cup of tea when she once again heard footsteps coming down the hall. A part of her had hoped that Juice would stay asleep, saving her from having to deal with him on her own. It wasn't that she didn't like the boy; because she very much did. She wouldn't let her daughter spend time with him and let him be her son's godfather if she didn't like him. It wasn;t dislike at all that had her on edge. Her discomfort had more to do with the fact that she didn't know what to say to him. He was an emotionally fragile young man, and what could she possibly say to him that wouldn't be incredibly awkward for both of them?

She turned to lean against the counter, the very one she had sat on to make out with her husband not even an hour ago. She sipped her tea, and watched as he walked in and froze at the sight of her. Despite the hours of sleep, the kid didn't looked about as far from good as one could get. He had clearly lost some weight recently and had what looked like permanent dark circles under his eyes. Fiona could clearly see the dark bruising around his neck, evidence that Filip hadn't been exaggerating. Not that Fiona thought Filip would do that, but seeing the proof right here, in front of her very eyes, was almost too much for her.

"Oh," Juice said, stopping in his tracks at the sight of her, clad in pajamas and her husband's shirt, in the kitchen. Fiona was pretty sure she had never been this casual around him before and she almost found the surprise on his face funny. "I, um, I thought that you would be at Gemma's still. Chibs said that you were there with Tara and the kids last night."

She nodded at him, continuing to drink her tea. "I was. Filip called and asked me to come home, so I did."

"Oh," Juice said, looking at his feet. "Oh, that's cool. He told me that I could stay and sleep in Kerri's room. We were working late and then-"

"I know," she cut him off, hoping to save him from a lie he didn't have to tell.

"So he told you? Yeah, I was just really tired and didn't feel like riding home, so he said I could crash here, and like I said, I didn't think you would be home, so I-" he started, still not looking at her.

"Juice," she cut him off again. "I know. Everything."

He looked absolutely stunned. That was probably the very last thing he had expected her to say, and he sure as hell was looking at her now. His eyes were wide with horror, and his mouth was opening and closing like a fish. It was obvious that he was either unwilling or unable to say whatever was happening in his brain right now, so Fiona saved him the trouble. "There is tea and coffee. Harder stuff is on top of the fridge, if that's what you'd prefer. Why don't you make yourself a cup of something and come sit down."

Fiona sat at the table and waited for the boy, trying to figure out exactly what she was going to say to him. The poor dear was clearly very, very lost and Fiona wasn't sure what she could say or do that would help him, but she knew that she had to try. She was a mother and this boy was a party of her family now. If something were to happen again, her husband and children would be devastated, and she loved them all too much to let that happen.

Juice joined her at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in his hand. That surprised her; she figured that he would go for the coffee, like her husband and all of the rest of the guys. She raised her eyebrows at his choice, and nodded at the cup.

"My nana used to make me tea when I was little," he explained, staring down into his cup. "She put honey and lemon in it, and it always made me feel better."

"So did mine," Fiona smiled. "Well, not my nana, more my nanny, but I still called her nana. She made the best tea in the entire world. I have been trying to match it since I was a girl, and haven't managed yet."

"Well, you did a really good job. This tea is great. Thank you," he said, actually looking at her.

"I'm about the only one around here who drinks it anymore. Filip prefers coffee after all of these years in America, and Kerrianne pretty much only drinks soda these days. You're welcome to a cup anytime you'd like, Juice," she told him, honestly.

He gave her a half-smile, and picked up his cup to drink again. Juice looked as if he couldn't believe that he was being treated with kindness. Fiona could tell, just by looking at the boy, that he wasn't used to kindness being thrown his way. She supposed that, given the fact that he was a SAMCRO member, he spent most of his time around the guys, who were not known as the warm and cuddly type, and Gemma, who was, pretty much, a piranha at the best of times.

"Where's Chibs?" Juice asked quietly, placing his cup on the table.

"He went to pick up Kerri and Adam from Gemma's house. They should be back soon," Fiona told him.

"I made Kerrianne's bed, but I can change the sheets it you want me to," Juice said, moving to stand.

"Don't worry about it," Fiona quickly assured him, motioning for him to sit again. "You know that Filip wants you to stay with us for a while?"

"It's really okay, I can go home. You guys have enough to worry about. I will be alright," he tried to argue, buts he silenced him with just a look.

"I hear what you are saying. I am sure that the very last thing you want is eyes on you at all times, but you are going to stay here anyway," she told him. He looked surprised at her commanding voice, but she wasn't about to back down. "My husband loves you. These past years, when he was by himself, you helped to take care of him, even if it looked and felt more like he was taking care of you. If you are here, he will worry less and be able to sleep more at night. That's what I want for him."

"Yeah, I know," Juice agreed. "I know I have been all over lately and I know he has been worried. I didn't mean to make him worry."

"He's good at worrying. Thinks that every problem in the world is his. That's just how my Filip is," Fiona smiled. "But this time, he was right to worry. He's not going to take his eyes off of you for a very long time, Juice."

"I know," he said. "I know that. I understand even. It isn't going to happen again, I promise."

"I know it won't," she assured him, the look in her eyes determined and serious. She reached across the table and placed her hand over his. "You are family, Juice. I won't let anything happen to my family."

"Thanks Fiona," he said, choking up slightly.

"Don't mention it," she said, squeezing his hand again. "You can babysit, cook, clean, fix the cable and internet, drink tea with me, and deal with Kerrianne's angst. I am going to like having you around!"

They both laughed at that, but then very suddenly, their moment was interrupted by a door slamming open. Kerrianne stood in the doorway, staring at her mother and her friend, radiating rage from every poor of her body. Fiona was instantly worried.

"Kerri?" she asked, concern evident in her voice, but Kerrianne's attention wasn't on her. Her daughter's eyes were on Juice.

"You stupid, selfish, son of a bitch!" she yelled, and in no time, she was right next to the table. "I can't believe you, you are a cowardly piece of shit!"

Juice opened his mouth to respond, but never got the chance. As soon as a sound come from his mouth, it was cut off by Kerrianne's fist crashing across the boy's cheek. Juice was doubled over, his hand to his cheek, and Kerrianne's knuckles were bloody and her face was red and tear streaked. Fiona jumped and had her arms around her daughter and was dragging her backwards before the girl could even blink.

"Kerrianne!" Fiona was trying to calm her daughter, but it wasn't working, mostly because she was already calm. She shook her mother off and wiped her knuckles on a towel from the table.

"I'm done, Ma," Kerrianne said, before turning to the boy. "You stay away from me. Da says that you are going to live here now, and that there isn't anything I can do about it. But don't you dare look at me, talk to me, or even think about coming anywhere near me. You are not my friend anymore. You are nothing."

And with that, she turned and left the kitchen, leaving two stunned adults in the dining room, and one not so stunned adult in the doorway.

"See what we miss when I can't figure out how to get your car seat out Adam?" Filip said as he came into the house, shutting the door behind him. "You okay, kid?"

Juice was still somewhat shocked, but he could still manage some anger. "You told her?! Why would you do that?"

"Because she asked me, and I don't lie to people I love," Filip said, looking directly at Juice. He didn't need to voice the rest; Juice knew that he wanted to say 'like you do'. "Now answer the question. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, she hits pretty hard. You've been teaching her way too well," Juice complained, grabbing a towel of his own to hold to his cheek.

"Not true! You can never teach a daughter to hit too well," Filip argued as he set Adam's carrier down on the table and dropped a kiss on Fiona's head, before unfastening the straps and lifting the baby out. "I brought you your boy, and your unreasonably angry girl. I am sorry to say that I won't be around for that diaper change later. We" he nodded at Juice, "need to head to the garage. Jax will be waiting for us. We'll be back in time for your little shopping trip, though."

He smiled at her, before handing over the sweet baby boy. Fiona stood and kissed her husband, asking "Is there any chance that Kerrianne will calm down any time soon?"

Filip wrapped an arm around her and shook his head. "Probably not. She is furious. She even refused McDonalds."

Fiona sighed, "I'll see what I can do. You two hurry home! I need my shopping partner back, soon!"

Juice looked confused, which caused Filip and Fiona to laugh. "She didn't tell you? You have to go help her buy a new bed for your room. I was going to offer to go instead, but Fiona really wanted to spend some time with you, and Adam asked me if I would stay and hang out with him. Mostly it just means that I don't have to go. I think I am going to like having you around."

Juice looked miserable at the thought of going shopping, which Filip found hilarious. He felt bad about leaving Fiona alone with a hungry baby and an enraged teenage daughter, but there was nothing to be done about it now and he would make it up to her later. He had asked Jax to meet him and Juice at the garage, and they had to show up. Juice looked nervous, and Filip could understand that, but there was nothing that could be done about it now.

"Come on, kid," Filip said, bending to kiss Adam, and then Fiona before grabbing the bike keys and heading out the door.

Juice looked nervous, and Filip rested a hand on his shoulder. "You remember what I said, right? I won't let anything happen to you, Juicey."

Juice looked at him and smiled. He nodded and then they climbed on their bikes and rode off to face the VP.


	61. Chapter 61

**Here's the next part. I didn't do a superb, thorough job of editing (I never do!) so forgive any errors. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy! Leave some reviews!**

Filip was a man on a mission. Juice had been living with them for just about a week, and things were pretty much a fiasco. This fiasco had nothing to do with the Club, or with Fiona, or with Juice, even. This fiasco was more of the enraged teenage daughter variety, and Filip had had just about enough of it. It was time to end this teenage angst and drama before it made HIM want to kill himself.

Today had been day six of "completely ignore the existence of Juice while still making comments intended to make him feel barely in inch tall", and Filip was determined that this would absolutely be the last day. Kerrianne was entitled to be angry and upset, but she had to know that it was driving him and Fiona nuts, and absolutely killing Juice.

He had watched the kid prance across a mine field today without a second thought. It had literally happened for him in slow motions. One second, Kozik was standing there, and then he was blowing up, and then there was Juice, just traipsing across the field as if it was no more dangerous than a playground. He was supposed to be watching out for the kid. Shit, he had allowed Juice to move in so that things like today could be prevented!

He had really hoped that his family would help him, and for the most part, they had done excellently. Fiona had stepped up in a big way and opened her home up to the boy. They got along shockingly well, and he had found them drinking tea and laughing together more than once. Even Adam was doing his part to help out. Even the hardest, angriest hearts melted for the wee baby boy, and Juice's was no exception. Juice could often be found reading aloud to Adam from an array of comic books and graphic novels, while Adam played with his own hands.

Kerrianne was pretty much the only holdout. Juice had tried giving the girl space, which resulted in awkward, silent brooding. He had tried speaking to Kerrianne, both seriously and casually, which had resulted in nothing short of a hissy fit backed by some strong curse words and death glares. He had even tried to move out once, in the dead of night when he thought everybody would be sleeping, but Juice had tripped and knocked over a book, waking the baby, which woke everybody else in the house. Kerrianne had literally thrown the book at Juice's head and then the boy had been ordered back to his room by Fiona.

Filip and Fiona had fretted over it, talked about it endlessly, and very nearly pulled their hair out, before decided to just let this run its course and let the two of them work it out. However, six days later, Filip was done waiting for them to work it out. He was going to get to the root of this shit with Kerrianne, or else he was going to lock her and Juice in a room together and not let either of them come out until they were friends again.

Currently, he and Fiona and Juice were sitting silently in the living room, while they listened to obnoxiously loud, angry music pouring out from under Kerrianne's door. Filip was holding the sleeping form of Adam, mostly so that he wasn't tempted to lose his cool and go break the door down. He couldn't understand how Adam could be sleeping with the blaring noise, but sleeping he was. Fiona was sitting next to him, furiously tapping her foot. Juice was pretending to read a magazine while nervously fidgeting with a loose string on his shirt. Filip was rocking his baby boy and plotting.

"I can go, guys," Juice spoke up, suddenly. "I appreciate you letting me stay here, but-"

"No," Fiona cut him off. "You aren't going anywhere. She has GOT to get over this."

They all nodded in agreement, and then fell to silence again. They stayed that way as the current song ended and they all breathed a sigh of relief, hopeful that the next one would be better or softer or maybe just not terrible. Not a single damned one of them was that lucky, though. The next song opened like a bomb going off in a factory that made the made metal garbage cans, and the noise jolted Adam awake. Filip took Adam's screams to mean that he found the music just as terrible as he did, which sort of relieved him. He hoped that Adam's teenage rage would be backed by something with a little more rhythm and style.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Fiona yelled, standing from the couch. "Filip, this has to stop! What the fuck are we going to do!?"

"Here," he said, standing as well. "Take Adam and try to get him to stop crying. You're pretty good at that."

She complied, sitting with the baby and trying to cover his ears. Filip took up his pacing, weighing his options. He completely understood her anger, better than most would, but he was sick of this, and he needed to end it today. He didn't like being the bad guy, not where his little girl was concerned, but this was important.

He stopped in his tracks. "Here is what we are going to do. Take Adam, take Juice, and go out for a while."

"Go out?" Fiona asked, slightly incredulous. "Go out where?"

"I don't really know, or care. Go anywhere that isn't here. I need an hour or two alone with our daughter," he explained, rather cryptically.

"You mean that you are giving permission to go shopping?" she asked. "And you are going to make Juice come with me?"

"Whatever you want, Love," he agreed.

"You're not going to, like, hit her, are you?" Fiona asked, while they both ignored Juice's groan.

"Of course not," Filip rolled his eyes. "I am just going to help her see the error of her ways. Or break her stereo. Either way, really."

"Are you sure, Love?" Fiona asked. "I don't want to make you deal with this on your own. She can be very temperamental sometimes."

"I've got it," he assured her. "You guys just go for a while. It's fine."

Within a few minutes, FIlip had sent them on their way and was contemplating his next move. He wanted to be as calm and controlled as possible, but the CD skipped and then started all over again, and Filip pretty much lost it. He marched down the hall and tried knocking on the door, but he doubted she could hear anything at this point. He tried the knob and found that it was locked, and all restraint went out the window.

Filip made his way to the garage and came back with a screwdriver. Within two minutes, he was removing the door. The music stopped pretty quickly after that, and as he set the door aside, he saw Kerrianne's furious face greet him. He marched across the room and yanked the stereo's power cord out of the wall outlet.

"God, Da! What the hell are you-," she started to yell, before she was cut off.

"Sit," he demanded his voice low and completely serious.

She quickly complied with his command, but it was clear that she wasn't happy about it. "I can't believe you took my door off."

"I can't believe that you were playing your music so loud that you not only woke your brother, but you didn't hear me politely knocking before removing the door," he responded. He took a sit on the bed, across from her. "You and I need to talk."

"I don't feel like talking," she replied with a snotty pout.

"I don't remember asking you if you felt like talking," he said, much to her surprise. It was a very rare occasion that he was harsh with her, but enough was enough. "This is getting out of hand, Darlin."

"You can't make me be his friend, Da," she argued. "I won't do it."

Filip rolled his eyes. "Can you at least tell me why? Explain the decision process that went into your hatred of Juice."

"Well, Da," she started, as if she were talking to a toddler. It pissed him off to no end, but he maintained his cool. "See, we were friends, and then he tried to kill himself, and then that friendship was done."

"So you are telling me that nothing else happened? There is no other reason for you to hate him?" he asked, carefully.

"No," she looked at him like he was crazy, as if she couldn't comprehend how he didn't get it yet.

"Well then, Kerrianne, you need to go over it," he told her, gently. She looked completely astounded at what he was saying, so he rushed to continue. "Everything that you are feeling, the anger and the hurt and the betrayal; I have felt it, too. You aren't the only one."

"Well, did you just get over it?" she asked, talking to him like his real, actual daughter for the first time in a while. "Did you just get rid of it, just like that?"

He could tell that she was actually asking because she wanted to know, and he knew that maybe, just maybe, he was getting through. He jumped on the chance, here. "No, Love. It's not gone. I am still angry at him and I might be angry at him for a long time, but guess what, kid?"

"What?" she sighed.

"Me being angry and hurt isn't the most important thing here," he tried to patiently explain. "Juice being alive is. This isn't about me and it isn't about you; it isn't about anybody except him. I love Juice, and I care more about him being safe and alive than I do me being perfectly happy."

"Well, I want him alive, too!" Kerrianne exclaimed.

"You sure have a strange way of showing it, kid," Filip laughed. "That boy needs an understanding friend, probably worse than anybody I know. He needs somebody who isn't a member of SAMCRO and isn't going to brush off his problems. I had hoped that you could be that friend for him, but all I am seeing is you being incredibly selfish."

"But Da…" Kerrianne started, but stopped. She looked down at her hands and was quiet for a minute. Filip gave her time to get out whatever she was going to say, but when she finally looked up, he was surprised to see tears. He instantly felt like a terrible father; he hadn't ever intended to make her cry. He put an arm around her and pulled her close to him. She cried for several minutes, while he tried to figure out what on earth she might have said next. By the end of a minute, he was about ready to just give you and offer to buy her a car and a pony and a lot of candy, if only she would stop crying.

Instead, he just kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. After what felt like an eternity to him, but in reality was only three or four minutes, she picked her head up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Filip reached over a grabbed a tissue from the box on her desk and handed it to her.

"Finish your thought, Darlin," Filip insisted quietly.

Kerrianne sniffed loudly. Filip had to hand it to her; the girl really did give Juice a run for his money when it came to looking pitiful. "But he really did hurt me, Da."

Filip sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I know Baby."

"He's my friend; I tell him everything. I have said things to him that I would never even dare to think about saying to anybody else," Kerrianne admitted. "He could have told me. I would have helped him. He could have trusted me, but he didn't. I even asked him flat out what was wrong, and he lied. He tried to kill himself. He was going to die and leave me here, alone and I hate him for that! I am so angry at him, Da."

"Oh Kerri," Filip said, and he couldn't help be hug her again. She was saying all of the things that he was thinking and feeling.

"What do I do, Da?" she asked after a moment. "I have to live in the same house as him. How do I do that?"

"Well, not like you have been," Filip immediately said, causing laughs on both parts. "Here's what you do, Kerri. Talk to him."

"You want me to talk to him? About what, the weather?" came her sarcastic question.

"Say to him exactly what you just said to me," he advised. "You are allowed to be mad, Darling, but you aren't allowed to deal with that anger the way you have been. It's not solving anything, and it's driving your Ma and me absolutely nuts."

"Sorry for that," she said. "Do you think it will really work, though? Don't you think it will make him sad again?"

"Maybe," he nodded. "But I think what you are doing right now is worse."

She gave him a long, appraising look before giving him a half smile and nodding, "Okay. You're right. I will tell him."

"That's my girl!" he exclaimed. He still couldn't believe that this had actually worked. He had managed to get through and he was positive that it was some sort of miracle. He figured that now was a perfect time to push his luck. "Now, I need you to do one more thing for me."

"What's that?" she asked, wondering what more he could possibly ask of her.

"Take that CD from your stereo and destroy it immediately," he insisted. "It's fucking terrible."

"Only if you put my door back," she countered.

"Deal," he agreed, before taking his screwdriver and heading off.

She rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling. Overall, she figured she had lucked out in the father department.


	62. Chapter 62

**Here's the next part! Thanks for reading and hope that you enjoy!**

Kerrianne and Filip were lounging on the couch watching a movie when Fiona, Juice, and baby Adam returned. Kerrianne had spent a solid hour with her headphones on and a notebook and pen writing a very detailed letter to her friend Juice. She had offered to allow Filip to read it, but he had declined. She had already shared a great deal with him. Besides that, she had very clearly poured a lot into that letter, and whatever it contained was between her and Juice. Even though he didn't plan on reading it, he was kind of thrilled that she trusted him enough to offer.

When they group walked in, Juice immediately froze upon seeing Kerrianne, out of her room and glare free, curled up on the couch with her father. The sight must have spooked him quite a bit, because he immediately set Adam's carrier on the table and blurted out, "I am going to go to the bathroom!" before rushing out of the room. Filip and Fiona found this quite funny, and spent a minute or two laughing hysterically at the boy's expense.

Fiona was carrying a couple of bags, which she put on the table. She turned and began to unfasten Adam to take him out of the carrier. Filip had no idea where they had been for the past few hours, but Fiona looked much more calm than she had when she left. He nudged Kerrianne with his elbow, and once he had her attention, he nodded towards Fiona. Kerrianne sighed, but nodded in agreement and pulled herself up off of the couch, before making her way over to her mother.

"Ma?" she said quietly, once she got close enough. Fiona turned around to look at Kerrianne, her eyebrows raised in question. "I'm sorry about the way I have been acting lately, and I am really sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to wake Adam up. Won't happen again."

Fiona's mouth dropped open for just an instant, but she recovered relatively quickly, only to be shocked again when her daughter pulled her into an unexpected hug. To say that she was surprised would be a definite understatement. As she embraced her daughter, she mouthed to Filip, "How did you do this?"

He shot an uncharacteristically large grin at her and shrugged. They both knew that he was internally gloating over his parenting skills, but Fiona didn't mind at all. He was a damned good father and he could have his shining moment of glory. Fiona squeezed her daughter extra tightly and then let her go.

"Thank you for apologizing, Darlin. It means a lot," Fiona said. "And I hope it doesn't happen again. Adam was not impressed with your taste in music."

Kerrianne rolled her eyes good naturedly. "I know, Da already destroyed the CD."

"Good for Da," Fiona winked. "You doing okay now? Got everything worked out?"

"Well, nearly," Kerrianne admitted. "Da and I talked. I will be okay."

Kerrianne was smiling and not trying to drive them up a wall, so whatever Filip had done was fine with Fiona. Kerrianne took over Fiona's task of removing Adam from the carrier, and Fiona took over Kerrianne's task of sitting next to Filip on the couch.

"Looks like we all owe you big," she said, kissing Filip quickly and laying her head on his shoulder.

"I'll say you do," he smirked, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "I'll take my payment in the form of you, coming with me, right now."

This surprised Fiona, probably more than Kerrianne had. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Just go for a ride with me," he shrugged, still smiling. She supposed that he was well aware that she couldn't resist his smile. "We haven't been in a long time. It'll be fun."

"And what shall we do with our children, Love?" Fiona asked, hoping that he had a good answer because she really wanted to go.

"Kerrianne will babysit Adam, and Juice will be here, so there will be adult supervision and everything," he explained.

"Wait, Da," Kerrianne interrupted, looking incredibly panicked. "_Now?_"

Filip nodded, "Now. No time like the present, Kerri. You will be fine."

Kerrianne looked slightly less sure, but she didn't argue. Instead, she sucked up any and all courage that she possessed and nodded. "I am going to go change Adam and see if he will sleep. You guys have fun and be careful. Love you both."

Filip and Fiona both watched Kerrianne leave the room before Fiona turned and asked, "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Aye," he nodded, "But not here. Let's get out of here."

He grabbed her hand and they were out the door in no time. Filip was confident that Kerrianne would be fine and he had enough faith in Juice to know that the kid would listen and do what was right. That faith didn't stop him from taking Juice's bike keys, though.

Kerrianne managed to change Adam, having long since gotten over her fear of diaper changes, and almost had him to sleep. Though she was cool on the outside, she was completely flipping out on the inside. There was nothing more soothing than rocking her tiny brother and watching his eyelids fall with each passing moment. He would be asleep soon, and then she would have to put him down and leave his room and face what was waiting for her in the living room.

She wasn't a coward, but she knew that this would be really, really hard. Her Da had helped her worked things out and actually form words to describe what she was feeling. She had put those words into a letter, one that he would read and feel however he was going to feel. She had no control over what he would do, but he owed it to her to read it, damn it, and she would see that he did.

She kissed her brother and made sure to turn the baby monitor on so she could hear if Adam needed her. She glanced in the mirror as she left the room, making sure that her outside did not reflect her insides. No, she looked like a careless, average teenage girl, not a raging, emotionally torn teenage girl with a sort of crush on her best friend who had very recently tried to off himself.

She marched into the living room, making sure to radiate a sense of cool confidence, even if it was complete and total bullshit. She found him moping on the couch, looking absolutely miserable because he couldn't find the television remote. She and her Da took turns hiding it on each other when they were watching TV together and she had a feeling that it was currently in the refrigerator. When she entered the room, he sat up completely straight and looked very nervous. It had been more than a week since they had been in the same room without her wanting to kill him, so the nervousness was understandable.

"Kerri…" he started, but she cut him off with a look, and he knew better than to even try to continue.

"Shut up," was the first thing she said to him, and as strange as it sounded, it was probably the nicest thing she had said to him in a while. At least she was talking to him and saying something that made at least some sort of sense.

"Okay, I am going to shut up," he agreed quickly, and it wasn't until she glared at him that he realized that he had just done the exact opposite of shutting up. "Really."

She was pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table, but endlessly glaring at him all the while. "My Da said I should tell you what I think and then get over it, because for some godforsaken reason, he thinks that you deserve help, and I trust my Da, so I guess I agree with him."

He didn't respond, but that that was what she had been expecting. How could he respond to that? Chibs was putting a lot on the line, and all for him, and he just wasn't worth it. He didn't deserve Chibs and he sure as hell didn't deserve to be a part of this family; not after what he had done and was still doing to the Club.

Kerrianne suddenly stopped pacing and turned to look at him. She was staring him in the eye, and he couldn't read her. For about the millionth time, he was shocked at exactly how much like her father she could be. She had the same stare; the same way of breaking down all of his barriers and seeing directly through him. She was, however, much, much prettier than her father. She literally blew him away sometimes.

She tossed down a piece of paper, folded into threes, onto the coffee table in front of him. "Read it."

He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. He was afraid of what it would say in this letter and every instinct he had told him to not read it, that it was probably bad news and he should just get up and leave as soon as possible. Since his bike keys were mysteriously missing, and he wouldn't put it past Kerrianne to hit him if he tried to leave, he reached forward and picked up the letter, her eyes on him the whole time.

_Juice,_

_My Da says that I am being unfair to you. He thinks that you need a friend right now and that I should just put aside all of this shit and try to be that friend that you need. I want to, I really do want to, but I can't do that without telling you first. I need to make sure that you know how hard it will be to just put this shit aside and decide that you are my friend again. You lied to me. I have told you everything, Juice. You know things about me that literally nobody else knows. The trust I have put in you is unbelievable. After all of that, you couldn't even tell me that you were sad. Not just sad; sad enough to hang yourself from a tree. You could have told me. I wouldn't have told anybody, not even my Da. Not if you asked me not to. But you didn't. You didn't say a word, and you let me think that we were friends. Friendship works both ways, you jackass, and you let me keep spilling all of my deepest secrets to you, and not even once did you have the decency to tell me that it was all for nothing. I hate you for that, you know. But that's not even the worst part Juice. The worst part is that you wanted to leave. You were all set to die and to just leave me here. It felt like all of the times we spent hanging out, all of the stupid cards games and hours playing video games, all of the love I have for you; you made it seem like none of that was enough for you. You wrote it all off so easily. I hate that you did this. I hate that you tried to throw yourself away. I hate that I let myself care that much for you that it pretty much destroyed me to find out what you did. I don't know if that means anything to you- to know that you hurt me and you hurt my Da and you hurt anybody else who cares about you. I feel like I don't know you at all anymore. But here's the thing: I'd like to know you. Maybe you're not exactly the person you used to be, and maybe I am a stupid teenage girl, but for some reason, I still want to know you. But no more of this fake shit. You had better talk to me and be real. Also, if you ever try to pull something like this again, we are done without so much as a second thought. And yes, you should feel very embarrassed that a nearly sixteen year old girl is schooling you on the finer points of an adult friendship, but there it is. I love you, you idiot, and if you're still in this, then so am I._

_Kerrianne_

Juice wasn't sure when he had started crying, but he wiped the tears. This girl had cut him to the core with a letter written on torn out notebook paper. He didn't deserve this girl, or her friendship, or her family. He knew that and so did she. She still wanted him around, though. She still wanted to be his friend.

He looked up at her, and her expression hadn't changed at all. She was still staring at him as if he was transparent and he was still in awe of her.

"Kerri," he started, but he found that he couldn't say anything else. His throat felt tight and there was a lump in it that he just couldn't swallow. He did the only thing that made sense to him right now; he stood and hugged the girl for all he was worth. "I'm so sorry."

She hugged him back, and he was so relieved to find that he hadn't lost her, that she was still around even after everything he had done, all he was still doing. He was done being jerked around, done hurting the people he loved. Fucking Roosevelt could suck it. Chibs and Fiona and Kerriane had made it very clear that he was a part of the family, and he was already throwing one family under the bus; he would be damned if he would throw another one there, too.

"I can't tell you everything yet, Kerrianne," he explained as he let go of her. "I am still trying to figure some things out, myself. But I swear, as soon as I've got everything straight, you will be the first to know."

She looked at him shrewdly, her gaze sizing him up to see if he was telling the truth. She must have decided in his favor, because she nodded, "Yeah, okay. I think that will work. Now go get the remote out of the fridge. My parents have probably ridden off to have sex somewhere, so we are stuck here with Adam until they get back, and then you can take me to McDonalds to make up for being a total douche. We might as well watch TV while we wait."


	63. Chapter 63

**Sorry that it's been awhile, guys. Hopefully, this chapter will be worth the wait. Oh! And I am going to flat out admit that I stole the term "lady porn" from the beloved Ambrosia Rush. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy, and please review!**

Filip had been away from home for pretty much three days straight, and he didn't like it one bit. Things with the Club had been absolutely insane, and it had kept him away from home for far, far too long. He missed his wife and he missed his kids, so even though Gemma had been beaten to a pulp by Clay, even though Clay had been shot, even though Piney was dead, even though Bobby and Juice and Opie were missing in action, Filip was going home.

Filip just couldn't wrap his head around what was happening with the Club right now. He had thought that he knew these men. He had called them brothers for years and years and he loved each and every one of them. As it turned out, he didn't know shit. Filip had been genuinely surprised to find all sorts of hidden secrets and thoughts that were lying just below the surface for some of his brothers. They had picked a hell of a time to come to light.

Clay Morrow, the president of his Club, the man who had welcomed him with open arms and protected him when nobody else in the world would, had turned out to be the dirtiest, most corrupt man that he had ever known; and this was coming from somebody who had once known Jimmy O'Phalen. It was pretty much an open secret that he had gotten them involved in this incredibly shady cartel deal so that he could make some cash before he bowed out of the game all together. Clay had been lurking around behind closed doors for far too long, making decisions that he had no business making on his own, and now they were all paying for it. Clay had put all of their lives at risk for the sake of money, and now Piney and way too many others were dead, and the Club was drowning in blood and drugs.

On top of that, there was the issue with Gemma showing up at the Club house bruised and bloody. The marks on her face were not something that would fade from Filip's memory anytime soon. She wasn't talking about it, nor was she saying who was responsible for it, but Filip knew. They all knew. Clay had done it. In this Club, the guys usually minded their own business. None of them were generally willing to get involved in a brother's private affairs, especially when it came to Old Ladies, but Gemma was always a bit of a different story. There wasn't a single one of them that didn't have a soft spot for Gemma, and seeing her beaten was not something that that any of them tolerated.

Clay had been shot twice very, very early this morning. Apparently, some random black guy had done a drive by and he had taken two to the abdoman. They were already pinning it on the Niners, but if they were being honest, it could have been literally anybody. The one thing that their Club was not short on these days was enemies. Clay was lying in a hospital bed with half a lung missing right now. Filip knew that he shouldn't be thinking this way, but part of his was glad to see that the corrupt man had gotten his just rewards.

And then there was Piney. Filip just couldn't believe that the old man was dead. More than anybody else, Piney had always been a consummate survivor. Filip had long thought that nothing could kill the man and had suspected that he would outlive them all. He had been wrong. Piney had gotten a hole blown clean through him while on one of his benders at the cabin. Word was that his death had come at the hands of the Lobos Senoras, but Filip was not entirely sure what to believe. Piney may have been old, and he may have been drunk as shit, but he was sharp as a tack. Filip knew that, no matter how drunk he was, he never would have opened the door to a random Mexican that he didn't know.

Piney's death had come as a blow to him; he couldn't imagine how Opie was handling it. His old friend had been though too much in the past couple of years. His wife had been murdered at the hands of a brother, his children barely knew him, his second wife had up and left under very mysterious circumstances, and now his father had been murdered. This was just the latest in a series of tragic events that were sure to add to the immense weight already held by his brother. Opie had been there for him the entire time that the rest of the guys had been in prison and there was not a damned thing that Filip could do to help his brother right now.

Then there was the mystery of what on earth had happened to Bobby Elvis. As far as anybody knew, Bobby had gone up to Stockton to visit Big Otto and update him on Louann and the Georgie situation. That had been two days ago, and nobody had heard a single word from him since then. All of the guys had times when they disappeared for a while and went off the grid, but usually they let somebody know beforehand. This was not like Bobby at all. The Club was going through some shit right now, and Bobby would never just disappear in the middle of all of that. Nobody seemed to know where he was, and everybody was too preoccupied with other things to put much time into figuring it out.

Last but not least, there was Juice. The young man had been one of his biggest concerns for the better part of two months now, and for good reason. After weeks and weeks of almost constant worry, and a suicide attempt and a half, Filip had finally forced Juice to reveal the root of his problems. Apparently, their little Puerto Rican intelligence officer was actually their little half black, half Puerto Rican intelligence officer. Leave it to Juice to take the rules way, way too seriously. The kid had actually thought that he would be kicked out and stripped of his patch just because his father, whom he had never met, happened to be black.

It was enough to make Filip think that perhaps it was time for the unwritten rules of SAMCRO to be actually written and explained more fully. His friend had tried to kill himself, and all over a misunderstanding of some very murky rules. If his birth certificate had said that he was black, then they would have had an issue, but Juice had told him that his birth certificate said Hispanic; therefore, he was a Hispanic. For as long as Filip could remember, literally nothing except birth certificate had mattered. As happy as Filip was to learn what had been bothering Juice for months, he couldn't shake the anger and disgust at the fact that this stupid misunderstanding had nearly cost the life of one of his best friends.

There were all sorts of things that Filip was thinking and feeling right now, and not a damned one of them was good. He had a feeling that something was happening within the Club; he could sense a change coming. He wasn't sure what to expect, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. He longed for the old days, before all of this shit had hit the fan. He longed for a strong kinship with his brothers and a time when things just weren't so complicated. He hated to admit that those times seemed to be long gone, now.

He pulled up in front of his house just after dark. He could see light pouring through the windows, and smiled to see that the front porch light had been left on for his benefit. It was a warmer night, and the windows were open. He could tell that Kerrianne was busy inside, because he could smell something delicious. This was his home; his family was inside, and he had damn sure missed this place and these people for the past few days. This was his home, the one place where he could just relax and rest assured that everything was going to be fine. After the hell he had been struggling through for the past few days, this place sure looked like heaven to him.

He unlocked and opened the door to find his daughter dancing around the kitchen with her headphones on. She had just taken a tray of what looked and smelled like oatmeal cookies from the oven, and was preparing the next batch to go in. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and one of his old t-shirts. The look was accentuated with what looked like flour streaked across her face and shirt. She was singing softly to music that he couldn't hear, and Filip was reminded once again of exactly how much he loved this little girl.

"Hey Da!" she said, a little too loudly over the music that only she could hear. She yanked out her headphones pretty quickly. "Sorry."

He grinned at her, "Hello, Darlin. You making cookies?"

"Nah, I'm washing my hair," she cheeked, flashing him a grin of her own. "Glad that you're home. I've missed you."

After everything that had been going on that particular sentiment resonated with him; it was something that Filip really needed to hear. "Missed you too, Kerri. Can I have a cookie?"

"Just one, because I am betting that you haven't had any dinner yet," she replied with an all too knowing eye.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, grabbing two cookies before she could stop him. "These are really fucking good, Love. What brought on this baking endeavor?"

Kerrianne shrugged in response, but the smile on her face told him that she was flattered. "Just felt like doing something nice. Ma was complaining earlier that we didn't have anything sweet in the house, so I figured that making cooking would win my some favor."

"Good call," he agreed. "Where is your Ma, anyway?"

"She went to take a shower while Adam is sleeping. That was a while ago, though, so I figure that she is probably lying down herself. He has been a little bit fussy today," she informed him.

"Well, I'm going to go make sure that she hasn't offed herself in the shower," he joked, earning a glare from her in return. "What, too soon?"

"Definitely," she replied testily.

"Sorry, I'll try to be more sensitive, but it probably won't work," Filip said with a smile. He reached around her to grab another cookie, dropping a kiss on her cheek as he did. "Thanks for the cookies. You made my day, Darlin. I love you, you know."

"I know, Da. Love you too, even if you are insensitive and terrible," she told him with a joking smile.

"Glad to hear it," he replied, squeezing her once before exiting the kitchen and heading down the hallway. He didn't hear any sounds coming from the nursery, so he continued on to his own bedroom and opened the door.

Fiona was, in fact, in bed like Kerrianne guessed. Instead of sleeping, however, she was curled on her side with what looked to be an incredibly torrid romance novel n her hand. It must have been a good one too, because her lower lip was caught between her teeth and her eyes were quickly scanning from left to right across the page at an alarming pace. She was so lost in the book that she had failed to even notice him enter the room until he cleared his throat.

"Hey," Filip said when she finally looked up. "You reading lady porn?'

"Hi Love," she smiled at him, closing the book. "I was reading a romance novel, Filip."

"Same difference," he shrugged, unfastening his belt and removing his kutte and boots and crawling into bed next to her.

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close for a minute. "I missed you, Love. I'm glad you're home."

"Me too," he smiled, kissing her softly. They stayed still for a minute, both of them content to just lie impossibly close to one another. She didn't mind that he had been wearing the same clothes for three days and he didn't mind that she had spit up on her shoulder; this was real life and these sort of things happened.

"Where have you been?" she asked, her hands never leaving his body, even for a second.

"Dealing with all sorts of Club shit. Have you heard about any of it?" he asked, knowing that she had an ear on the Old Lady grapevine and probably had at least some idea of what was going on.

"Gemma was here earlier. She told me about Clay. Do you have any idea what happened to her face?" Fi wondered.

"Word is that Clay happened to her face," Filip told her.

"Jesus Christ. It's a wonder she didn't shoot him," Fiona shook her head. "I'm glad I married a nicer man than she did."

"Me too," he smiled. His grin faded as he asked her, "Did you hear about anything else?"

"What else is there to hear about?" she asked, instantly concerned.

"Piney's dead," Filip admitted. "Shot in the chest. The other cartel apparently got to him."

"Oh Christ," Fiona groaned. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. It's going to kill Opie, though," Filip said, not wanting to dwell on the sadness; not here, where he was so incredibly happy.

"Yeah," Fiona agreed, not loosening her hold on her husband. "I'm just glad that you are home, safe and sound."

"Aye," he nodded. "I'll have to go back in a few hours, but I wanted to come home for a bit, see you and the kids. I wish Adam was up."

She was about to reply when a shrill cry cut through the air, coming directly from the baby monitor. "Ask and you shall receive."

Fiona moved to get out of bed to check on their son, but she was stopped very quickly. "Go back to your lady porn. I'll get him."

Filip made his way out of his bedroom and down the hall to Adam's. The baby boy was crying his little lungs out, but stopped quickly when he laid eyes on his father. A sweet smile replaced the tears on his face, and just like that, Adam was fine.

"Hey there, wee man," Filip said, lifting the boy from the crib. "What's all that noise for? Did you just need some attention?"

Adam seemed perfectly content now that he was being held. Filip was glad to see that the boy wasn't tired or wet or hungry; that allowed him just a few minutes to simply hold his son. He made his way over to the rocking chair and sat. He lifted the squirming boy and held him upright, taking some time to really look his son over.

He had gotten bigger. He weighed just over nine pounds now and he was holding his head up and reaching the stage where he moved around almost constantly. The smile that lit up the boy's face was electrifying. He was grinning his little heart out as he looked at his Da. There were tufts of black hair sticking out at ridiculous angles all over his head, and he was waving his arms all around as he entertained Filip with all sorts of adorable baby noises. He was the epitome of an absolutely perfect baby.

"You're pretty happy now, aren't you Adam?" Filip said softly. "If you wanted me to come see you, all you had to do was say so. No need for all that crying."

Adam found that absolutely hilarious, if his laughter was any indication. He was beaming and kicking his tiny baby legs all around. One of the kicks dislodged the blanket and Filip was able to see what the boy was wearing. He was dressed in a SAMCRO onesie. Fiona had said that Gemma had been here earlier, but she had forgotten to mention that she had come bearing gifts.

He looked hard at his son, all of two and a half months old and already dressed in SAMCRO colors. All of this shit that was going on right now was heavy on his shoulders. Piney was dead, Clay was doing his best to get there as well. Drugs and death were hanging over them at all times. Juice was suicidal. Bobby was missing. Things were as shitty as they had ever been, and here was his baby son, already being claimed as the future for this Club.

It was pretty much accepted amongst the guys that if you were a member and you had a son, he would eventually become a Son. He could see it now. If thing went as expected, Adam would start off working at the garage when he was about fourteen, get his first bike as soon as he was old enough to ride, Prospect as soon as he was a legal adult, and become a fully patched member before his twentieth birthday. Not for the first time, Filip was faced with the idea that maybe, just maybe, this Club wasn't what was best for his Adam's future. Did he really want to leave his boy a legacy of drugs, guns, blood, and violence? Did he really want all of this weight to be on Adam's shoulders in twenty years? Did he really want it to be Adam in a tree in the woods, instead of Juice?

"No," Filip said aloud, without even realizing it. No, he didn't want any of that. He wanted Adam to grow up and be free to do whatever it was he pleased. This wide eyed baby could grow up to be a doctor, or join the Army, or be a freaking ballet dancer for all Filip cared. He wanted his boy to have a chance at everything life had to offer him, not be obligated to the fate of the Club. For the first time, Filip could finally admit that he didn't want his boy to be SAMCRO. It wasn't an easy decision to come to, but it was the right one. "Come on, little Love, let's get you changed and then we'll go see your Ma."

Filip carefully unsnapped and removed the tiny SAMCRO onesie, changing Adam's diaper and redressing him in a tiny suit emblazoned with dinosaurs playing musical instruments. Picking up the boy, he threw the diaper away, and then, thinking twice, tossed the offending garment in as well. Adam wouldn't be wearing it again.


	64. Chapter 64

**Hi guys! Sorry for the amount of time between chapters. I am working on a couple of other things right now, so that once this story is finished (which will be very soon) I will have some other things in the pipeline. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading and leave me some love!**

Filip sat on his decision for a couple of weeks. He had found that, throughout his life, giving this sort of important decision time to settle in was what usually worked out best. His decision hadn't changed in that time, though. It was as if the choice he made had lifted a weight off of his shoulders. He loved his Club, but he was still certain that his son's future should not lie anywhere close to SAMCRO.

Things had shifted a lot over the past few weeks. Clay was still in the hospital, recovering from surgery. Jax had taken over the president's chair, and for all the worry about the changes a new president would bring, there really had been no changes at all. They still muled drugs, they still dealt guns, and they still made all kinds of messes. The only thing that was different was Jax being at the head of the table. Filip really tried to not think about it too much, because if he did, it made him angry.

Jax had asked him to be sergeant at arms, and he had immediately agreed. He loved Jax, really loved him, and he would do what was asked of him. Just because he had agreed did not mean that he didn't have reservations, however. He had pulled Jackey Boy aside and explained in no uncertain terms that he would not be the sort of SAA that Tig had been. Filip was not a mindless killer and did not take any sort of joy in the act. He would do what he had to do to protect the President, but he also knew that if it came to standing between Jax and a bullet, he just couldn't do it. He had a least three good reasons to say alive.

Jax had said that he understood, claimed that he would never ask Filip to protect him in that way, and he also assured him that he wasn't interested in more bloodshed. More than anything, Filip was leaning on that. It was what gave him hope that maybe he Club was turning around after all. He trusted his friend, a lot more than he had trusted Clay, and he knew that Jax would always try to do the right thing. It didn't change his resolve to make sure that Adam had nothing to do with SAMCRO, but it gave him some hope for his own future.

Right now, Filip was a man on a mission. Ever since he had made his decision about Adam, Fiona had sensed that something in him had changed. He hadn't been sleeping and had been prone to bouts of silence. He had been worried for weeks now, and his worry was causing her to worry and it was definitely putting her on edge. It was time to finish this and cement his decision before he drove his wife insane. The family's important documents were kept in a safe deposit box, so earlier today before he had left the house, he had taken the key and went to retrieve Adam's birth certificate.

He found himself at St. Thomas, waiting around until Tara was free. This place didn't really hold the best memories for him, and he didn't want to relive those few minutes when he thought that his son was dead, but this was important enough that he would hang out until she was free. He was currently getting a few strange looks, here and there, but it really didn't matter too much to him. He was used to people looking at him strangely, and he rarely let it bother him. It was pretty well known that he was SAMCRO, and by now, it was also well known that Tara was an Old Lady, so he figured most people could figure it out if they thought about it hard enough, but either way, he really didn't care.

Finally, after hanging around the neonatal intensive care until for twenty minutes or so, he saw Tara emerge from a consultation. She was looking all sorts of professional, and he instantly felt bad for just randomly showing up where she worked, but this wasn't something that he could just pull her aside and talk about in passing at the Club house. She caught sight of him and stopped short, before making a quick excuse and coming over to where he was sitting.

"Hey Chibs, what's up?" she asked with a concerned smile. "Is everything okay?"

"Hey Doc," he told her, looking a little sheepish. He hadn't meant to worry her. "Yeah, everything is fine. I was just wondering if you had a minute. Need to talk to you about something."

She gave him a curious look, like she wanted to say more, but instead she just nodded. "Yeah, come on back to my office. We can talk there."

He followed her down the hall, hopeful that word of his visit wouldn't spread, but really, he could probably think of an innocent reason for visiting Tara here, if he had to. They made some small talk as they walked to her office, where she shut the door and he took a seat in the guest chair across from her.

"So what's going on?" she asked, anxious to hear what was bothering him. It wasn't exactly odd for the guys to stop in at St. Thomas, but she had a feeling that this was not just a standard kind of visit.

"Here's the thing, Doc," he started. "There is a mistake on Adam's birth certificate. I need to get it fixed, quickly and quietly."

"A mistake?" she asked, kind of astounded. Tara had filled out information for Adam's birth certificate herself, and she was pretty sure that she hadn't made any kind of mistake. She hadn't been sure what to expect when she saw him here, but it sure wasn't this. "What kind of mistake?"

Filip pulled out the envelope from his pocket and withdrew the birth certificate, handing it to her. "It says here that Adam is white. It shouldn't say that. It should say that Adam is black."

Tara just looked from the birth certificate to him and back again, her mouth agape. "Um, well, wow, okay," she started. "Can I ask you why?"

He sighed heavily and shook his head. "I don't know if I should tell you why or not Tara, but it's important."

"I'm sorry, I guess I should have asked what race he was instead of just assuming when we filled out the paperwork. I really wish you would tell me what's going on and why it's so important, though," Tara said. "You know it's just between you and me. Technically, this could fall under the doctor patient confidentiality clause."

He smiled just a little and weighed the possible risks of coming clean to her, before he finally just relented. "How much do you know about the rules in the Club?"

Her eyebrows shot up, and she looked confused for just a moment, before telling him, "Not a lot, really. This has something to do with the Club?"

He nodded. "You've probably noticed a distinct lack of color throughout the Clubhouse. It's kind of an unspoken rule that there really just aren't any black Sons."

"So the Sons have a problem with black people?" she said, looking incredulous.

"Not really," he shrugged. "These rules were made ages ago, by old school men. They didn't see themselves as racist, but back then this was just how things were. Black and white clubs just didn't mix at that time. They still don't really."

"Okay," she said, still looking kind of confused. She was quiet for a moment, before looking at him shrewdly. "You don't want Adam to be a member of the Club."

It wasn't a question, more of a statement of fact, and it was a fact that he couldn't deny. "No, I really don't."

"Can I ask why?" she said. "You have always seemed so loyal to SAMCRO and so willing to do anything for the Club, but now, you don't want Adam to be a part of that?"

"This isn't about my loyalty, this is about my son and his future," he explained, a slight edge to his voice. There was no question that he was loyal to his Club, but his loyalty was his own choice, and it had nothing to do with Adam. Tara looked shock at his harsh tone, and he immediately regretted it. "Look Tara, can you really blame me? We run drugs and guns and do illegal things on a daily basis. I have been associated with the Sons of Anarchy since I was sixteen years old, when my older brother patched in. I was a poor street kid in the ghetto; there was literally no better choice for me. If I didn't patch in, there was every likelihood that I would end up dead on the streets of Belfast. But not Adam. Adam doesn't have to make that choice. He can go to school and then to college and he can have whatever future he wants, without the weight of this Club hanging over him. I want my son to have the choices that I never really had, and the only way I can do that is by taking SAMCRO out of the equation. If he feels like that is an option, then he will choose this life, just out of a sense of loyalty. I don't want that for him. I have given this Club my entire life; I won't give it my son."

"You're really serious about this? This is what you really want?" she asked.

"Yeah, this is what I really want. I have thought a lot about it, and what I really want is a future for him away from all of this," he told her.

"Do the guys know? Does Jax know?" Tara asked, still looking upset.

"No, they don't know, and you can't say anything Tara, please. Not to Jax, not to Gemma, not to anybody. They won't understand. They will see this as a betrayal. Nobody can know I came here today," he told her, as completely serious as he had ever been.

"I think that Jax would understand a lot better than you think," she said softly, and it made him wonder if, just maybe, she thought the same way he did. Part of him wanted to ask, but he didn't. It wasn't his business. "So even if we do this, you do know that nobody can tell Adam is black, right? If I didn't know Fiona personally, I wouldn't believe it myself. He just looks like a white kid," Tara told him, very matter of factly.

"Yeah, but it won't matter. The paperwork is what matters. When the time comes, twenty years down the road, they will ask for his birth certificate and see what it says, and they will tell him no. By that time, it will be too late to do anything about it," he said, very familiar with the rules, as he had very recently explained them to Juice.

"Wow, that's so backwards," she laughed with disbelief. "Do you really think that this will work?"

"I hope so," he told her. "It's the best I have come up with, so far. What else can I do, Tara? There is literally nothing else, short of sending Fiona and my kids away from Charming, and I can't do that. I need them here. So this has to work, Tara."

"Okay. I can get it changed. We just have to file some paperwork and they will send you a corrected one. I will need your signature, and Fiona's. I can get the paperwork ready and bring it by for you to sign when it's done," she told him.

"Yeah, okay," he nodded. "You aren't going to tell Jax?"

"I'm not going to tell anybody. Believe it or not, I understand where you're coming from," she assured him. She thought for a moment before speaking. "I am sure that this isn't an easy choice for you, but for what it's worth, I think that you are making the right decision."

"You do?" he asked, wondering again if maybe they were on the same page when it came to their children and SAMCRO.

"I really do. It's complicated, but let's just say that I understand you wanting to keep Adam out of this life. I'll help you do this," she assured him with a smile. "Invite us over to dinner in a few days. I'll bring the paperwork and we will get this done."

"Thanks Tara," he grinned at her, really appreciating that she was willing to help him. He hadn't expected that she would be so understanding and discreet about this.

"Not a problem, at all. I'll even make it look like an oversight on Dr. Lake's part, not mine. Destroy this birth certificate, as soon as you get the new one," she told him, handing the paper back to Filip. "Now here, put this bandage on, so it looks like you were in here to get patched up."

"Has anybody ever told you that you are a genius?" he asked, pulling his sleeve up and bandaging his own elbow.

"A few times, but thanks!" she laughed. "Now get out of here, go get drunk or shoot somebody or whatever it is that you guys do in your spare time."

He laughed and then headed out of the office, feeling lighter than he had in a while.


	65. Chapter 65

**Hi friends! So, this is the final chapter of Comfortable. I have absolutely loved writing this story. I am not completely satisfied with the end result. In retrospect, I wish I had split it into two separate stories (one dealing with Adam being born, and another dealing with the drug/race/Juice issues), and I wish that I had spent WAY more time editing and correcting careless mistakes. Oh well, I am still really happy with the story and in love with all of these characters.**

**This won't be the last story to feature the lovely Telford family, but the next one won't be up right away. Now is kind of an insane time at work and once that is done and we head towards summer, I will probably write some more in this story line. I plan on working on some one shot and some possible short (5 chapters) arcs, so if there is anything you would particular like to see/read about, send me a PM and let me know! **

**A huge thank you to all of you who have read and reviewed and stuck with me through this entire story! I appreciate you more than you know, especially you, Ambrosia Rush. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and leave some reviews!**

Filip Telford was in his kitchen making lasagna and pondering his life. His wife was in the next room, feeding their baby boy and he could hear her on the monitor, singing softly to the baby as he ate. The sound made him smile as he turned his attention to the living room. Juice was sprawled across the couch playing one of his obnoxious and violent video games. It looked like suicide was the farthest thing from the boy's mind, and for that Filip was glad. Kerrianne was perched on the couch next to Juice, supposedly studying for her upcoming finals, but Filip could see her giving unsolicited and unwelcome video game advice. Filip was happy to see that the two had repaired their relationship and were good friends again. Both of them needed strong, close friends.

As he covered the giant lasagna in front of him with cheese, Filip couldn't help but think about how incredibly lucky he was. His family had weathered some pretty trying times and years apart, but they were together and whole now. He had a beautiful wife who genuinely loved him, no matter what. He had two absolutely perfect children; a daughter who put a smile on his face just by existing and a son who was a pure miracle. His Club may have fallen on hard times, but he had friends that he loved and trusted. All in all, his life was damned good, especially when compared with past years.

"What time are they going to be here?" Fiona asked him as she walked out, Adam in tow. She walked directly over and deposited Adam in his older sister's lap, before returning to the kitchen.

"Should be here any minute," he told her. "Could you open the oven for me?"

He carried his expertly crafted lasagna to the newly opened oven and deposited it on the rack before closing the door, glad that his work was finally done. He turned and wrapped his arms around Fiona's middle and kissed her softly. "Thanks for your help, Love."

"Oh, anytime. I know the value of teamwork," she grinned at him.

"Does that mean you are going to take all of the credit for this dinner?" he asked with a smile.

"Of course," she replied, causing him to shake his head.

They both turned when they heard the sound of Adam's laugh. He was lying on Kerrianne's lap while she tickled him and Juice made stupid faces at him. The baby's laughter had the two older ones in hysterics.

"Look at those three," Fiona whispered, resting her head against his chest. "We have some good kids, Love. Well, two of the three anyway."

"Yeah, I am still not sure about the mohawked one. Do you think he is returnable?" Filip joked.

"He damned well better be," Fiona replied, causing them both to laugh.

The kids were all occupied, Filip turned to Fiona. He needed to run this by her, in case Tara mentioned something. "Listen Fi, Tara is bringing some paperwork by tonight. Nobody knows about it except her, and me, and now you. Jax doesn't know, Juice doesn't know, nobody knows. This paperwork needs to be signed, by both of us."

"What kind of paperwork, Filip?" she asked, confusion and concern clouding her smile. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

He sighed deeply. He really wished that he had told her about this earlier. He opened his mouth to begin talking, but was cut off by a car door slamming. "I will tell you everything tonight, after everybody leaves. I promise, nothing is wrong. Everything is fine, I swear."

She looked at him, and it felt to Filip like she was reading him from the inside out. She must have been satisfied with what she came up with, because she smiled and kissed his cheek. "Later, then. Let's go meet our company."

Within a couple of minutes, Jax, Tara, and both boys were piling into the house. Juice and Kerrianne moved around to make room for everybody, and Abel was in Juice's lap, enthralled in the assassin ninja game that Juice was playing.

"That's the first time I have seen him completely and totally quiet…like, ever," Jax commented as he went to put the six pack they had brought in the fridge.

Tara nodded in agreement. "Who knew that Juice was the ideal babysitter?"

"We did," said Filip and Fiona together, causing all of the adults to laugh.

"Hey, I need to go feed Thomas. Can I go to Adam's room?" Tara asked.

"Aye, you know where it is," Fiona told her. "I'll save you a glass of wine."

"Thanks," Tara smiled. "Jax, hand me the bag?"

Jax grabbed Thomas's diaper bag and handed it to Tara. "Here you go. What the hell do you keep in this thing anyway?"

"Oh, you know, diapers, wipes, automatic weapon; just the usual stuff," she grinned. "Which you would know, if you ever opened it to change a diaper."

They all had a laugh at Jax's expense. Fiona went and started taking drink orders, leaving Filip and Jax in the kitchen.

"It smells awesome in here. What did you make for dinner?" Jax asked him.

"Lasagna," Filip replied, heading to the fridge. He raided the vegetable drawer, pulling out all available vegetables and handing them to the blonde man. "And you are going to make the salad!"

The look on the younger man's face was priceless. Filip felt a little bit bad for Jax, who was not used to doing…well, anything in the kitchen. Filip took pity on the kid and helped him chop and dice while they laughed and joked around. Before long, they had managed to produce a perfectly acceptable salad, and just a few minutes later, five adults, one teenager, one toddler, and two babies were sitting around the dining room table, devouring lasagna and salad.

The noise around the table was deafening, but Filip couldn't keep the smile off of his face. Jax, Juice, and Kerrianne were arguing between themselves about some movie. Fiona and Tara were occupied with talking about the babies. Filip and Abel were secretly picking celery out of the salad and throwing them at each other. Overall, it was an absolutely perfect evening.

Several hours later, after an awesome dinner and a few hours of good company, Filip was helping Jax and Tara put their boys in the car, while Fiona was putting Adam to bed. Filip had put Juice and Kerrianne on cleaning duty. It had been a really great night. Filip shook Jax's hand as he went to put Abel in the car. Tara came and offered him a hug.

"Thanks for dinner, it was great. We'll have to do this again, soon," she said with a smile. She looked happy, and for that, Filip was glad. She leaned a little closer to him, "Oh, I meant to tell you. When I was feeding Thomas, I noticed a few screw loose on Adam's crib. Under the mattress area. You may want to check it out."

With a wink, she got into the car. He waited until they had pulled out of the driveway before going in the house. Kerrianne and Juice had finished cleaning duty, and were settling on the couch. Kerrianne was dressed in pajamas, and there was a monster sized bowl on popcorn on the couch between them.

"Da! Juice and I are going to have a horror movie marathon. Do you want to watch with us? Keep me safe from zombies and the paranormal and Juice, who screams like a girl?" Kerri asked when he appeared in the living room.

He smirked at Juice's protests, before telling her, "Thanks for the offer, Sweetheart, but I am going to go find your Ma."

"Ew," Kerrianne said, rolling her eyes, while Juice cracked up.

Filip ignored them both and leaned down to kiss his daughter's cheek. "You two have fun; try to go to bed before dawn."

"I will, Da. Love you," she smiled at him, before he turned and made his way down the hall.

He found Fiona in the rocking chair, feeding Adam, who was struggling to stay awake. Fiona was rocking softly, and Filip was once again reminded of exactly how lucky his children were to have her for a mother. She was a complete natural when it came to being a mother.

"Hello, Love," she said softly, looking up at him.

"Hi there," he replied, moving into the room and shutting the door softly behind him. "He asleep?"

"Very nearly. At the very least, he is done eating. Do you want to take him and put him in the crib?" she asked.

"Yeah, just give me a minute first," he told her, before walking over to the crib. He knelt down and looked at the mattress, where he could see the very corner of an envelope sticking out. He moved the mattress and retrieved the envelope easily, sticking it in his pocket, before making sure that everything was put back into place. Fiona was eyeing him quizzically as he took Adam, who had lost the battle with sleep. Filip kissed his boy and gently laid him in the crib. The baby was calm and safe and sleeping soundly. Everything was as if should be.

"Are you going to tell me what that was all about?" Fiona asked in a whisper from the rocking chair. Her shirt was done up, but only just, and Filip was doing his best to resist the urge to forget everything and take her back to their room and have his way with her. Instead, he nodded at her and took her hand to help her up, before leading her from the room and back towards their own bedroom.

They could hear screams of horror mixed with laughter coming from the living room as they made their way down the hall, but once they arrived in their own room and shut the door, all of that was drowned out. Fiona perched on the edge of the bed and looked at him expectantly. He grabbed a pen off of the dresser and sat next to her, before he pulled out the envelope. There was an address on the outside, and a note just inside.

_Chibs,_

_I filled out all of the paper work, just like you asked. I marked the places where you and Fiona need to sign. Once you both have signed, just drop this in the mail, and it's all done. I'm glad you let me help with this._

_Tara_

"What is this, Filip?" Fiona asked, quietly, but urgently. She didn't like feeling left in the dark, and he completely understood that.

"These are just some forms that I had Tara help me with," he started to explain. "A few days ago, I went and asked her to help me get a small detail on Adam's birth certificate changed. She agreed to help and she got everything ready. All we need to do is sign."

"What was wrong with Adam's birth certificate? What are we changing?" she demanded. She was beginning to lose her patience, so Filip just sighed and handed over the paperwork.

He watched her while she read it; her gorgeous brown eyes drifting back and forth from line to line as she struggled to figure out exactly what the root of the problem was. He saw her eyebrows shoot up when she finally realized what the documents said. If it had been a different situation, he would have found it hilarious.

"Why is our son all of a sudden black?" she questioned, looking up at him with confusion still written all over her face.

"Well, when you think about it, he has always been at least partially black. Now, he will just be officially black," he tried to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"I understand that Filip, but why are we making it official? Does it really matter?" she wondered.

"Yes," he said, the words coming across more harshly than he had intended. He changed his tone quickly. "Yes, Fi, it really, really matters."

"Tell me why," she commanded.

He had nearly forgotten how endlessly frustrating she could be. His fingers scrubbed at his face. "Can't you just trust me when I tell you that it is important and leave it at that?"

Her eyes narrowed, and he knew that he had gone too far. "If you want my signature, you'll tell me."

He sighed deeply, but he knew that arguing with her would be useless. "Okay Fi, here's the thing," he started. "I have made a lot of choices in my life, some of them bad and some of them good, but all of them were my own. I just want the same thing for Adam. That's the simple version of it."

Her face softened a bit, before she nodded, "Now for the complicated version, please."

"I want him to be able to have whatever future he wants to have. I want him to go to school and learn and figure out what he wants to be. Then, he can go to college and study, maybe meet a girl and get married and have a wildly successful career. Or maybe he will go to art school and be a ridiculous painter or join the military, or even join the goddamned circus. The point is, I want him to be able to do all of that. I want him to have the entire world open to him," Filip blurted out. Fiona smiled and nodded, but she still looked confused. He took her hand from the bed and laced his fingers through hers. "I don't really care if he is black or white or an awesome mix of both. Either way, he's our Adam. But if his birth certificate says that he is black, they won't let him patch SAMCRO."

Fiona was momentarily stunned, but after the initial shock wore off, she understood almost immediately. "You don't want him to be a part of your Club."

It wasn't a question as much as it was a statement of fact. She knew what he was thinking, and he knew that she knew. He looked up at her and nodded. "All of this shit that has happened in the past few years is just too much. I got blown up, Donna was murdered, Gemma was gang raped, Louanne was murdered, Abel was kidnapped, the guys went to prison, the deal with the cartel. Hell, Juice tried to kill himself all because he is half black. All of this shit is just too much, Fi. I love my brothers, and I deal with all of this because it's what I signed up for when I patched in, but this is not the legacy that I will leave for my boy. I don't want this for him."

Fiona didn't know what to say. She was honestly floored. Filip had been a Son for more than half his life. It was something he had stepped into as soon as he was old enough, and being a Son had protected him and hardened him and helped to turn him into the man he was today. She had been fully expecting him to want Adam to take up that mantle when the time came. When it came right down to it, she knew that these were all logical reasons for coming to this decision, but she hadn't expected this.

The more she thought about it, though, the more she could understand. She knew her husband, top to bottom, inside out. She realized that, despite decades of being a Son, he didn't relish violence and bloodshed. He may have become tougher and harder under the influence of the Club, but he was still the same man who loved her and comforted her and laughed with her and spent every minute trying to make their lives amazing. He was still the same man who worried about their children and loved them beyond reason. For all of the ways SAMCRO had changed her Filip, he was still exactly that: her Filip. Of course this was what he would want. Of course he wouldn't want their baby boy to be a part of this, not if there were other options.

She let go of his hand and grabbed the pen. Without looking at him, she signed twice and initialed four times and then recapped the pen, handing it and the paperwork back to him. "You're a good man, Filip Telford, and an outstanding father. That is more than most people can say."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close. He let the paper and the pen fall to the bed as he held her close. He was so glad that she understood, that she got him and knew what drove him. He realized how rare it was to find somebody like Fiona, and he would never stop being thankful that he had. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and leaned back. "Sign those papers, Filip, and then seal that envelope and come to bed. I need my husband."

He laughed, and hurried to follow her directions. When he finally joined his wife in bed, she pulled him close to her and kissed him. "I love you, you know."

He smiled and ran his hand down her side, before slipping it under her shirt. "I know. I love you, too." He kissed her again, enjoying every single second of her lips against his, her body moving next to his. "Are you sleepy, Fi?"

She smiled and leaned back, "No, not at all, Love."

"Hmmm, me either. It'll be a few hours until Adam is up again, and the other two are zoned out in front of horror movies," he told her, allowing his hand to roam across her sides and back. "Our family is safe and happy. Now, will you let me make you happy, too?"

"Oh, I think I can agree to that," she nodded eagerly, moaning as his thumb grazed her nipple.

"That's good," he smirked. "You're in for a great night."

Filip kept his promise, and by the time they were they were done, they were both exhausted as they lay in each other's arms. They were completely spent, and even though Adam would waking up soon and Juice and Kerrianne were both too caught up in their movie marathon to handle the baby and Filip and Fiona were both knew that they should get up and get washed and put clothes on, neither of them moved even an inch. They stayed still, impossibly close to one another as their eyes drifted shut.

They were comfortable.


End file.
